Appointment

IQE PLC
5 February 2002



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                               5TH February 2002


                   New Non-Executive Appointments at  IQE plc

•           Appointment of Dr. Godfrey Ainsworth as Non-Executive Chairman
•           Appointment of Simon Gibson as Non-Executive Director

IQE plc (LSE : IQE.L) the world's leading outsource manufacturer of specialist
epitaxial wafers and services, is pleased to announce the following changes to
the Board of Directors of IQE plc.

Dr Drew Nelson OBE, is to split his current role of Executive Chairman and Chief
Executive that he has held since the Company became public in 1999. Dr Nelson,
who will become President and CEO, said 'the Company has grown to the stage at
which it is wholly appropriate that the roles of Chairman and CEO become
separated, in line with current best practice. This will allow me more time to
concentrate on improving the operational performance of the Group and take
advantage of the exciting opportunities currently open to the Company. I am
pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Godfrey Ainsworth, a Chartered
Accountant who has served as a Non-Executive Director with the Company since May
1999, to the position of Non-Executive Chairman with immediate effect from 05
February, 2002.  He was formerly a partner with Spicer and Oppenheim and is
Managing Partner of Gambit Corporate Finance.'

'Simon Gibson OBE, also joins the board as a Non-Executive Director. He is
currently President and CEO of Wesley Clover Limited, a venture capital fund set
up by Sir Terry Matthews, specialising in early stage technology companies.
Prior to joining Wesley Clover, Simon was co-founder, President and CEO of
Ubiquity Software Corporation, a pioneer in the creation of SIP based
telecommunications services for global Service Providers.'

Simon has also served as Vice President of Marketing and Communications at
Newbridge Networks in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. His early professional career was
spent in the UK and the USA at Mitel, Ericsson and BT.   Mr Gibson has been the
recipient of four national R&D awards and was made an Officer of the Order of
the British Empire (OBE) for his services to the electronics industry and to the
community in South Wales in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours list. He is an
advisor to several government bodies, a member of the Board of the Welsh
Development Agency and a Director of the Welsh Electronics Forum.

Dr Ainsworth said 'I am delighted that Simon is able to join the Board and to
bring his considerable talent and experience of high growth companies to IQE.
The Board will be further strengthened in the coming months by the appointment
of additional non executive directors and I believe the new Board structure will
provide  clear strategic direction and focus for the development of the business
as it enters a new phase in the compound semiconductor materials revolution,
particularly given the exciting opportunities open to the Group'.

About IQE

IQE plc (LSE: IQE.L, NASDAQ EUROPE: IQEP) is the leading global outsource
supplier of advanced epi-wafers to the Semiconductor Industry with manufacturing
operations in Cardiff and Milton Keynes, UK and Bethlehem, PA, USA. Its wafer
products are used by a diverse range of customers worldwide to manufacture the
critical, advanced components used in fibre optic communications systems,
wireless and mobile telephony applications, optical storage devices such as CD,
DVD, Minidisc and a range of other leading edge technologies including High
Brightness LED displays, medical devices, satellite systems and automotive
applications. The Group employs over 400 people worldwide.

Media Contacts:
Chris Meadows
IQE plc
Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]

Buchanan Communications Ltd
Tim Thompson
Tel: [phone]

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