[4] Initial funding for Filtronic was mainly from research contracts with the European Space Agency for satellite borne filters, and from selling software for the design of multiplexers.
[5] When Professor Rhodes received the Royal Academy of Engineering's highest award, the Prince Philip Medal in 2003,[6] the citation read: "In recognition for his outstanding research expertise in communications technology which he developed into a highly successful world-wide company".
[4] In 1985 Filtronic Components received a Queen's Award for Technology[8] for the development of suspended substrate stripline microwave filters and multiplexers.
In 1999 Filtronic purchased the former Fujitsu semiconductor plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham,[14] with the aim of converting the silicon DRAM fab to produce monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC) on 6-inch GaAs (gallium arsenide) wafers.
[17] In October 2006 Filtronic completed the sale of the filter based transmit-receive module and power amplifier business of its Wireless Infrastructure Division to Powerwave Technologies Inc.
[22] The growth of Filtronic's influence is credited with seeding a cluster of specialist microwave companies based in the north and the northeast of England, in the counties of Yorkshire and Durham.
The company used the money to supplement its own £1m investment in the expansion project, which involved extending manufacturing and testing facilities as well as create up to 36 new jobs, with the aim of increasing capacity significantly and winning contracts with new customers.
[31][32][33][34] Filtronic was also mentioned by Mavenir in its October 2020 written submission to Parliament, in respect of the UK's potential to re-establish a manufacturing base for telecommunications infrastructure.
E-Band transceivers (in the bands 71 – 76GHz and 81 – 86GHz) have applications in high-capacity backhaul, midhaul and fronthaul (collectively known as XHaul) links up to 10 Gbit/s for use in 5G mobile networks, and in High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS).
The company also offers microelectronics contract manufacturing services to customers in the defence and aerospace, critical communications and telecommunication infrastructure sectors.