Anti-slavery and Human Trafficking Statement 2022
IQE is a leading global supplier of advanced wafer products and wafer services to the semiconductor industry.
IQE is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards. We are committed to improving our supplier policies and processes to ensure that slavery and human trafficking are not taking place in any part of our business or within our supply chains.
Structure, business model and supply chain
IQE designs and manufactures advanced semiconductor materials. Our finished products are compound semiconductor wafers. We manufacture atomically engineered wafer products to the exacting technical specifications required by our customers. Our customers fabricate our wafers into the “chips” that form the critical components for a wide range of technology applications including wireless communication and photonic devices.
Registered in the UK, IQE has production and office locations in Europe, Asia and the USA. In total we have more than 600 employees worldwide. Our workforce is typically highly skilled and in permanent employment, we do not typically employ seasonal or temporary resource.
We rely on global supply chains to design, develop and manufacture our products and to support our operations and facilities. IQE operates as two core business units, Wireless and Photonics, supported by a central head office. Our approach to modern slavery and human trafficking is integrated into our broader approach to business conduct and risk management.
IQE’s Board of Directors has ultimate accountability for managing modern slavery and human trafficking risk.
Mitigating modern slavery risk in our supply chain
IQE undertakes formal supplier selection and audit policies and procedures across all of its activities. These policies and procedures include risk assessments with reference to slavery and human trafficking. A key element of our supplier selection and audit procedures is to ensure that appropriate and effective anti-slavery and human trafficking policies are in place throughout our supply chains.
We may also conduct independent audits and surveys across our suppliers to ensure the reliability and integrity of its raw materials supply and to assess the suppliers’ policies and practices with regards to slavery and human trafficking, health and safety, environment, and business integrity in our supply chain.
Our contracts require that our suppliers comply with all laws and international standards, and with IQE’s purchases order terms and conditions, which states our expectations of them to abide by our ethical business practices.
If a supplier’s practices are found unsatisfactory or non-conformant to our policies and procedures, we address these issues on a case-by-case basis, seeking advice from subject matter experts and legal counsel where appropriate. We have not experienced any significant breaches related to modern slavery to date. In the event of significant non-conformance we do retain the right to terminate any contractual agreement with immediate effect. We are committed to working in the best interests and protection of any confirmed or potential victims of modern slavery or human trafficking.
Mitigating modern slavery risk in our business operations and activities
Our internal accountability standards, policies and procedures help us to determine that all our employees conduct business in an ethical manner. IQE requires its employees to comply with the laws of the countries in which we operate and all IQE policies, including employee manuals and standard operating procedures. Violation of the laws or company policies is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
Our employees are encouraged to identify, prevent and if necessary report potential slavery or human trafficking issues.
At IQE, we believe that training is an important part of effective human rights practices. We are implementing training sessions for our key employees on human trafficking and slavery, particularly on mitigating risks within supply chains.
We encourage the raising of questions and concerns relating to ethical business practices. Employees have a number of available channels to raise a question of concern, including confidentially through our whistleblowing policy.
In the event that any future investigation identifies confirmed or potential victims of modern slavery or human trafficking we will work to the best interests and protection of these individuals or groups.
Declaration and Board approval
This statement has been made in accordance with the reporting requirements of clause 54, Part 6 of the UK Modern Slavery Act for the financial year ending 31 December 2021. This statement applies to all parts of the IQE Group.
This statement was approved by the Board of Directors at a meeting convened on 1 September 2022 and has been signed by the Chairman, on behalf of the Board.
Signed
Phil Smith
Chairman of the Board
IQE plc
