PhotonDelta targets photonics adoption
PhotonDelta’s Future Solutions programme is targeting the commercial barriers that continue to limit the wider adoption of integrated photonics, with a focus on manufacturing, cost, reliability and market demand.
PhotonDelta has outlined how the second phase of its National Growth Fund programme, the Future Solutions programme, is aiming to accelerate the transition of integrated photonics from research and development into commercially deployable products.
The programme is organised around 13 solution missions spanning imaging, sensing, wireless communication, and communication and computing.
Applications include LiDAR, optical coherence tomography, 6G, datacom transceivers, AI data-centre laser sources, photonic switching and quantum technologies.
According to PhotonDelta CTO Peter van Arkel, technical performance alone is not sufficient to drive adoption.
Potential customers also need confidence that photonic solutions can be manufactured at the required scale, meet target costs, deliver consistent performance and be supported by a reliable supply chain.
The programme therefore brings prospective customers into the development process at an early stage, using market requirements to help define factors such as capacity, cost, reliability and manufacturability.
PhotonDelta is also using the programme to connect capabilities across the integrated photonics value chain, including design, manufacturing, packaging, testing and system integration.
Its Better Together R&D activities are addressing shared technical challenges including heterogeneous integration and more standardised workflows.
The organisation identifies four key requirements for commercial readiness: capability, capacity, cost and reliability.
The balance between these factors varies by application, with datacom requiring high-volume manufacturing, automotive demanding cost efficiency and long-term reliability, and quantum applications placing greater emphasis on optical performance and low losses.
PhotonDelta said successful deployments should provide proof points for customers and investors while helping strengthen the wider European photonics supply chain.
The programme will also work with European initiatives and partners to connect complementary capabilities across borders, supporting a broader route from photonic integrated circuit development to commercial products.
