IQE plc

Cardiff, UK

3 November 2022

IQE announces multi-year supply agreement with AWSC

IQE plc (AIM:  IQE, "IQE" or the "Group"), the leading supplier of compound semiconductor wafer products and advanced material solutions to the global semiconductor industry, is pleased to announce the signing of a multi-year agreement with Advanced Wireless Semiconductor Company ("AWSC"), for the supply of epiwafers for wireless applications.

AWSC, a leader in the field of compound semiconductor wafer fabrication, has been a partner of IQE for over twenty years. This three-year supply agreement covers epitaxial wafers spanning a range of AWSC's wireless products, including those which enable 4G and 5G mobile handsets and WiFi products. The agreement provides IQE with diversification opportunities into mass market power amplifier products. IQE and AWSC will also partner in the design and development of solutions for next-generation wireless applications.

Americo Lemos, Chief Executive Officer of IQE, commented:

"This strategic partnership agreement, our first with AWSC, represents IQE's new approach to business. AWSC and IQE are building upon our longstanding relationship to accelerate innovation by bringing new solutions to serve the growing markets of smart connected devices and automotive. We are very excited about the great opportunities ahead of us in the market."

Eric Huang, President of AWSC, commented:

"At AWSC, we continuously work on process improvement and new technology development to meet our customers' requirements. Our partnership with IQE enables us to create leading-edge solutions and to transition them seamlessly to volume production. We are happy to extend and expand our relationship with IQE."

Contacts:

IQE plc

+44 (0) 29 2083 9400

Americo Lemos

Tim Pullen

Amy Barlow

Peel Hunt LLP (Nomad and Joint Broker)

+44 (0) 20 7418 8900

Paul Gillam

James Smith

Numis (Joint Broker)

+44 (0) 20 7260 1000

Simon Willis

Hugo Rubinstein

Iqra Amin

Headland Consultancy (Financial PR)
+ 44 (0) 20 38054822

Andy Rivett-Carnac: +44 (0) 7968 997 365

Antonia Pollock: +44 (0) 7789 954 356

Marta Parry-Jones: +44 (0) 7884742400

ABOUT IQE

http://iqep.com

IQE is the leading global supplier of advanced compound semiconductor wafers and materials solutions that enable a diverse range of applications across:

·    handset devices

·    global telecoms infrastructure

·    connected devices

·    3D sensing

As a scaled global epitaxy wafer manufacturer, IQE is uniquely positioned in this market which has high barriers to entry. IQE supplies the whole market and is agnostic to the winners and losers at chip and OEM level. By leveraging the Group's intellectual property portfolio including know-how and patents, it produces epitaxy wafers of superior quality, yield and unit economics.

IQE is headquartered in Cardiff UK, with c. 685 employees across eight manufacturing locations in the UK, US and Taiwan, and is listed on the AIM Stock Exchange in London.

ABOUT AWSC

https://www.awsc.com.tw

Advanced Wireless Semiconductor Company (AWSC) was founded in December of 1998. AWSC is established as a pure play Compound Semiconductor Foundry Service Company in Taiwan. AWSC is dedicated to providing the best quality and the most cost-effective foundry services to customers. AWSC offers GaAs HBT, pHEMT and BiHEMT technologies for wireless 4G, 5G, and satellite applications as well as optoelectronic device (VCSEL) fabrication services for AR/VR, LiDAR, 3D sensing, automotive, and optical communication applications.

AWSC is an ISO-9001, ISO-14001, IATF16949 and Green Partner certified Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.