TNO and HTC Eindhoven to build 6in InP wafer factory

10 Mar 2026

Novel photonic chips promise better AI data centers, 6G networks, super computers.

Construction of the photonic chip factory commenced on 9 March.

Netherlands-based research centers TNO and High Tech Campus Eindhoven are beginning construction of what they say will be “the world’s first industrial factory” for producing indium phosphide photonic chips on a 6-inch wafer scale.

With this week’s opening ceremony, featuring European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Heleen Herbert, and Minister of Defence Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, the country is edging toward global technological leadership, the joint announcement said.

By connecting R&D with scalable production, the completed facility will accelerate the journey from concept to market-ready solutions. “It paves the way for a new generation of energy-efficient AI data centers, 6G networks, medical innovations and supercomputers,” the statement added.

Tjark Tjin-A-Tsoi, CEO of TNO, commented, “We are building an industrial pilot line. By bringing research and manufacturing closer together, we strengthen the Netherlands’ position within the European semiconductor landscape to help companies scale up photonic technology more quickly and efficiently. This is an investment in our technological strength and in future economic growth.”

Otto van den Boogaard, Heleen Herbert, Tjark Tjin-A-Tsoi and Henna Virkkunen.

Link between lab and fab

The new factory is described by TNO as more than a facility: “it is a national and European catalyst for innovation. As demand for photonic chips grows exponentially, [we] offer a critical function in the ecosystem by providing the infrastructure needed to validate this technology at industrial scale.”

Heleen Herbert, the Netherlands’ Minister for Economic Affairs & Climate, said, “With this investment, we are moving from knowledge and innovation to concrete applications of integrated photonics. Our goal is to achieve a strong European competitive position with this key technology – in knowledge, innovation, supply chains, and production.”

The €150 million investment directly stems from the ambition of the European Chips Act. As part of the pan-European consortium PIXEurope, the factory is designed to ensure that the brains of the future digital economy are developed and produced on European soil.

Peter Wennink, Government adviser, Collaboration & Employment, commented, “By investing now in scalable production capacity, we are creating an ecosystem that can help shape the global technological direction. This is a launchpad for Europe’s future digital economy.”

The project is based on a public-private partnership between TNO, TU/e, PhotonDelta, SMART Photonics, and High Tech Campus Eindhoven. In addition to technological progress, the factory is expected to create high-quality jobs. After the initial ramp-up phase, around 40 specialists will be employed there.

Wennink added that the impact of integrated photonics is comparable to the rise of integrated electronics decades ago: “By investing in scalable production capacity, we are creating an ecosystem that can help shape the global technological direction. This is a launchpad for Europe’s future digital economy,” he said.