On 2 June 2021, the integrated photonics industry accelerator PhotonDelta, research institute TNO, Eindhoven University of Technology and University of Twente will sign a co-operation agreement for the new Photonic Integration Technology Center (PITC) in the Netherlands. This center will speed up the commercialisation of Integrated Photonics for applications such as autonomous mobility, healthcare, data, and communications.

Integrated Photonics represents a revolutionary technology that allows the development of chips that can sense, capture and process huge amounts of data using light instead of electricity. By using light we can create new types of devices and systems, complementary to those that use electronics. Photonic integrated circuits pave the way for devices and systems that are cheaper, faster, lighter, more robust and reliable while using less energy. This opens new perspectives for developing purposeful digital solutions.

The new PITC is an independent R&D and innovation center that brings photonic technologies to industrial maturity, builds partnerships, strengthens the photonics ecosystem, and links it to a global customer base.

Accelerating commercial adoption of integrated photonics

Customers get access to technology and know-how at an early stage while sharing the costs and risk of new technology development. The jointly developed innovations will be extensively tested for reliability and stability, facilitating the route to production. 

Specific PITC tasks will be to develop technology in shared innovation programs, to ensure a smooth path to manufacturing and commercialization, to provide access to high-tech infrastructure and facilities, and to support talent development for skilled professionals that build tomorrow’s hightech ecosystem in the Netherlands.
 
PITC is a cooperation between PhotonDelta, TNO, University of Twente and Eindhoven University of Technology, and is enabled by Brainport Development, the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate, regional growth accelerators BOM and OostNL and the provinces of Noord-Brabant, Overijssel and Gelderland. It is located on the premises of Eindhoven University of Technology and University of Twente in the Netherlands.

“Integrated photonics is a key enabling technology with a wide spectrum of applications allowing to respond promptly and efficiently to societal challenges of today and tomorrow,” says Carlos Lee, General Director of European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC). “The Photonic Integration Technology Center brings the integrated photonics to a level that it can be easily adopted by industry. This great ambition makes the PITC a perfect fit to the EPIC ecosystem.”

The signing will be part of an online launch event which is open to everyone who has registered through pitc.nl/launch (Source: PITC)