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demonstrated the emission of native green microLEDs without colour conversion, created the first HD 8-micron pixel display, pioneered GaN-on-Si wafer-to-wafer bonding, and delivered red InGaN LEDs on silicon. These achievements underscored Plessey’ s reputation as one of the only organizations globally capable of moving microLEDs from lab research into commercial viability. Today, Plessey is one of the very few businesses with true end-to-end manufacturing capability. From epitaxy and wafer growth through to bonding, packaging, testing and integration, everything is managed on site in Devon. This rare vertical integration allows for agility, quality control and fast innovation cycles that many competitors cannot match. That capability has already yielded significant results. In 2025, Plessey announced the world’ s brightest red microLED display, achieving up to 6,000,000 nits at ultra-low power with pixels smaller than 5 µ m. Industry commentators immediately recognized it as a major milestone in overcoming one of AR’ s biggest challenges: creating displays bright enough for daylight readability without compromising efficiency. It was hailed as a breakthrough that brings lightweight, commercially viable AR glasses a step closer to reality.
Behind these advances is a workforce that has more than doubled in size in recent years, growing from around 120 people in 2020 to more than 270 today. Apprenticeships, graduate recruitment and continuous training have all been expanded to ensure Plessey plays a role in securing the UK’ s semiconductor skills base. The company’ s commitment to its people is also reflected in its collaboration with Toyota, which began in 2023. Determined to build a culture of operational excellence, Plessey worked with Toyota to embed lean manufacturing principles across its operations. Employees undertook six-week customized training courses covering lean, Kaizen and structured
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