TNO and imec Launch Photonics Collaboration

TNO and imec have signed a letter of intent committing to work together on integrated photonics. Both research centers have each been working on photonics innovations for some time, but will now join forces to accelerate the development of the photonics industry in the Netherlands, Belgium and Europe.

The collaboration will start in 2023 within Holst Centre, the research and innovation centre on the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, in which imec and TNO have been collaborating since 2005. Holst Centre plays an active role in PhotonDelta’s National Growth Fund proposal, and will further strengthen its position as a knowledge centre with this agreement.

In photonics, photons (light) are used to transfer and process information. In integrated photonics, photonic components are integrated into a microchip, following a manufacturing process that builds on that of a conventional electronic chip. It combines the properties of photonics and microchips, allowing information to be transferred and processed faster and more efficiently, saving energy.

Applications with integrated photonics could lead, for example, to reduced energy consumption of data centers, safer autonomous cars, fine-grained measurement of food quality and better personalized diagnostics in healthcare.

Integrated photonics will be one of the new pillars in Holst Centre’s strategy. Together with partners from the PhotonDelta ecosystem (such as Eindhoven University of Technology, University of Twente, Photonics Integration Technology Center and other organisations), it aims to accelerate the development of the European industry around integrated photonics.

In doing so, Holst Centre builds a bridge between universities and industry, implementing the technology of integrated photonics into every-day applications. By combining the expertise of imec and TNO, all aspects needed in the development and production process, such as design, prototyping, testing and manufacturing, can be offered.

“The signing of this agreement is a milestone in the collaboration between TNO and imec,” said Kathleen Philips, director imec at Holst Centre. “It is an ambitious challenge and a unique opportunity, bringing together the expertise of both organizations to put the Netherlands and Belgium even firmer on the map in the field of photonics.”

“We will combine imec’s photonic microchip technology in Leuven, imec’s design expertise in the Netherlands and TNO’s optics and systems integration knowledge to help develop new sustainable solutions in different industries,” added Ton van Mol, director TNO at Holst Centre.