Photonics and semicon leaders to gather at October summit in Europe...

26 Sep 2024

...and OpenLight and Epiphany partner to expand PIC design capabilities.

More than 500 leaders from the semiconductor and integrated photonics industry are preparing to gather in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, in one of the largest meetings of its kind to discuss the future of photonic chips.

PIC Summit Europe, organised by photonic chip industry accelerator PhotonDelta, will take place for the third time on the 15th and 16th October.

This year’s summit will cover a range of issues and opportunities surrounding photonic chip technology and its applications. It will see senior leaders debate how photonic and electronic integrated circuits industries can work together to further integrate chips by standardising processes and breaking down barriers.

Photonic chip technology can significantly improve performance and reduce energy consumption in data centers, accelerate advancements in quantum computing, and introduce new sensing solutions across various sectors, including healthcare, agriculture, and the automotive industry.

Eelko Brinkhoff, CEO of PhotonDelta, said, “The integrated photonics industry is at a critical juncture. Photonic chip technology will enable emerging high-end solutions in communication, computing, and sensing. It will also be a key component for worldwide semiconductor technology and will contribute to our shared sustainable development goals.

“However, we still have some challenges in bringing the technology to the market. A strong cooperation with the semicon industry will accelerate this process and will help to solve the challenges the semicon industry faces,” said Brinkhoff.

The summit will feature a host of keynotes and panels with leaders including the Deputy Director General of the EU Commission Thomas Skordas, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Tjerk Opmeer, Airbus Head of Technology Sytze Kampen, Principal Technology Analyst at Sony Faisal Kamran, and Head of Silicon Photonics at Nokia Bell Labs Nicolas Fontaine.

OpenLight and Epiphany partner to expand PIC design capabilities

OpenLight, an operator in custom PASIC chip design and manufacturing, has announced a partnership with Epiphany, a fabless photonic design house, aimed at advancing the photonic integrated circuit design ecosystem.

Through this partnership, Epiphany will gain access to OpenLight’s open heterogeneously integrated III-V-based PDK, providing more options and flexibility for mutual customers. By collaborating with Epiphany, OpenLight says it “will broaden the scope of design possibilities, paving the way for more innovative and optimised PIC solutions across datacom, lidar, AI, healthcare and quantum computing applications.”

According to market research firm IDTechEx, the overall PIC market is set to grow to over $22 billion by 2034, driven by key advancements in technology and applications.

Dr. Adam Carter, CEO of OpenLight, said, “Unlike typical silicon-based semiconductors, there’s a significant shortage of talent capable of designing advanced PICs. Our goal is to make the transformative benefits of heterogeneously integrated silicon photonics PICs accessible to more users.”

Jörn Epping, co-founder and CEO of Epiphany, said, “The integrated photonics landscape is evolving at a breakneck pace, yet it remains a fragmented ecosystem with significant barricades. With OpenLight’s technology, we can leverage our expertise in integrated actives and passives to streamline design processes and address the lack of integration and accessibility while speeding up the adoption of integrated photonics technology across industries.”