A pilot plant for photonic chips is coming to High Tech Campus in Eindhoven. With a huge investment of millions, the European Union wants to remain the leader in this new photonics technology. The Netherlands is also investing a lot of money, in the hope that a second chip machine manufacturer like ASML will emerge from it. The photonic chips transfer information via light, instead of via electrons.
Thanks to photonic chips, it will be possible in the future to build cheaper, faster and energy-efficient devices. These will make it possible to diagnose diseases earlier. Safe self-driving vehicles will also be possible. This could open the door to a new European industry and a huge number of new applications.
The European Union is investing €380,000,000 in the project. Of this, €133,000,000 is for two Dutch pilot plants. The technical universities of Eindhoven and Twente and knowledge institute TNO (Dutch organisation for applied scientific research) will set up the new pilot production lines.
Saving
The Netherlands is currently leading the world in photonics developments and wants to further expand this position. Eindhoven-based SMART Photonics is involved in the project to use the new pilot plant. More than €100,000,000 have already been invested in the company.
After the light bulb and the CD (compact disc), another technological mega-development is seeing the light of day in Eindhoven. “Thanks to a process with photonic micro-chips that is as smart as it is complicated, the entire world will soon be able to save a lot of money and energy.”
Honour
In recent years, the EU has often been left behind when it comes to bringing new technologies to the market. The United States and China usually take the commercial credit. This time, the intention is to keep the entire production process for photonic chips, from the laboratory to the production hall, in Europe.
The project can start in mid-2025, Minister Dirk Beljaarts, of Economic Affairs, reports. “This is good news. For the Dutch innovation climate as a whole and for the SME (micro, small and medium-sized enterprises) and companies involved who are working hard on this”, the minister says.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
