EU invests €15M to help firms ‘supercharge their products with light’

03 Apr 2025

Aim is to enable developers to improve products and add smart features with “one-stop-shop” photonics approach.

The European Commission (EC) has just announced a €15 million investment program designed to help innovators exploit the properties of light-based technologies to add smart features and improve the performance of their products through a “one-stop-shop” photonics innovation factory.

Called PhotonHub PHACTORY (apply here), the initiative offers expert support, fast-track access to Europe’s leading laboratories, and generous subsidies. To be delivered through a one-stop-shop model, the initiative makes high-end photonics support faster, easier, and more accessible than ever, says the EC announcement.

The EC adds, “This program lowers the barrier to entry, offering EU subsidies that can cover up to 85% of project costs, making it low-risk for businesses. It aims to help companies achieve a wider and faster uptake, integration, and deployment of photonic technologies.”

With more than 30 European partners, the framework covers the chain from early-stage concept (Technical Readiness Level, TRL2) and prototyping (TRL3-4) to upscaling (TRL5-7). It spans a range of technology, expertise, and equipment, available from facilities throughout Europe.

Led by Brussels Photonics at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the initiative builds on the success of PhotonHub Europe, which to date has helped over 100 companies deliver more than €750 million in new revenues, create 1,000 jobs and raise €250 million in venture capital in just four years, states the EC.

Professor Hugo Thienpont, Director of Brussels Photonics and coordinator of the PhotonHub program, said, “We are delighted to support photonics innovation through PhotonHub PHACTORY. This €15 million program funded by the EC will be instrumental in creating opportunities for collaborative innovation projects for wide-ranging sectors over the next four years, enhancing European sovereignty in this rapidly growing industry.”

Lightspeed Innovation

By streamlining access to talent, facilities and funding, the new programme condenses what might normally take years — from a feasibility study to building and testing prototypes — into a matter of months.

“Because it’s built on a cross-border network, a firm in the Netherlands could seamlessly partner with a German lab or Italian research team, accelerating collaborative outcomes across the EU,” Thienpont added.

“Building on our impact to date and in response to the needs of the market, we are extending PhotonHub’s previous offering to also support entrepreneurially minded researchers and start-ups. We look forward to guiding these early-stage ventures as well as established SMEs and scaling companies in their commercial and technical development through photonics-led innovation,” he said.

The PhotonHub PHACTORY team is offering tailored support streams for EU companies, depending on their stage, technology readiness level (TRL) and strategic ambitions. These include a Launchpad for spinouts and start-ups, a Scaling Club for fast-growing ventures, and bespoke Business Coaching for established SMEs and some large-scale companies aiming for market growth.

The framework, which runs until the end of 2028, targets small and mid-sized firms across all sectors, offering tailored support depending on their needs. This includes expert assessments on technical and commercial viability at no cost, access to Europe’s researchers and laboratories, and training and coaching across various industries.