Transfer to AIM

IQE PLC
02 September 2003


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                    2 September 2003

                                    IQE Plc

             Transfer to the Alternative Investment Market ('AIM')



The Board of IQE Plc ('IQE' or the 'Company') announces that it intends to apply
to the UK Listing Authority ('UKLA') for the cancellation of its listing of the
entire issued ordinary share capital from the Official List of the UKLA
('Official List') and to apply to the London Stock Exchange for admission to
trading on AIM. It is anticipated that dealings will commence in the Company's
shares on AIM on 30 September 2003 and that the Company's listing on the
Official List will be cancelled on the same day.



Commenting on the transfer, Drew Nelson, CEO said....

'The IQE Board believe that, at the Company's current stage of development and
its current market capitalisation, AIM will give the Company increased access to
potential investors and is an appropriate and cost efficient market for the
Directors to effect the next stage of IQE's development'.


2 September 2003


For further information, please contact:
Dr Drew Nelson, IQE plc                                   02920 839400
Chris Meadows, IQE plc                                    02920 839400
Matthew Wood, Evolution Beeson Gregory Ltd               020 7071 4300
Tim Thompson or Nicola Cronk, Buchanan Communications    020 7466 5000



Notes to Editors:

About IQE

IQE, headquartered in Cardiff, is the leading outsource supplier of customised
epitaxial wafers to the global semiconductor industry. Materials produced by the
Group operate at the forefront of technology, typically in high speed
electronics and optical systems for a diverse range of devices including those
used for data/audio/visual storage, optical communications, wireless and RF
devices and systems, and in an increasing range of automotive, medical and
industrial applications.

About AIM

AIM is the London Stock Exchange's global market for smaller, growing companies.
Good companies from different sectors and different countries are welcome on
AIM. Since AIM opened in 1995, more than 850 companies have been admitted.
Collectively, these companies have raised more than 10 billion US dollars whilst
on AIM.

There are no specific suitability criteria for companies to qualify for AIM.
However, under the AIM rules, all non-listed companies coming to AIM must
produce an admission document making certain disclosures about such matters as
their directors' backgrounds, their promoters, business activities and financial
positions.

Importantly, all AIM companies are required to have a nominated adviser
(popularly known as a 'nomad') from the register of such advisers published by
the Exchange. This nominated adviser is responsible, amongst other duties, for
warranting to the Exchange that a particular company is appropriate for AIM.
This is an important quality control for AIM and a very serious responsibility
upon the nominated adviser.

Once admitted to AIM, a company has certain ongoing disclosure requirements and
needs to retain a nominated adviser at all times.

AIM is operated, regulated and promoted by the London Stock Exchange.




                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange