PhotonDelta lands €1.1 billion to usher in a new generation of semiconductor technology
Eindhoven, Netherlands; 14th April 2022: PhotonDelta, a cross-border ecosystem of photonic chip technology organisations, has, subject to conditions*, secured €1.1 billion in public and private investment to transform the Netherlands into the leader of the next generation of semiconductors.
The investment includes €470 million of funding obtained through the National Growth Fund (Nationaal Groeifonds), while the rest is co-invested by various partners and stakeholders. It is part of the Dutch Government’s national plan to cement and expand the country’s position as a world leader in integrated photonics.
The programme will run for six years and will enable PhotonDelta and its partners to further invest in photonic startups and scaleups, expand production and research facilities, attract and train talent, drive adoption, and develop a world-class design library. By 2030, PhotonDelta aims to have created an ecosystem with hundreds of companies, serving customers worldwide and a wafer production capacity of 100,000+ per year.
Photo by Bart van Overbeeke
Ewit Roos, CEO at PhotonDelta, said: “This investment is a game-changer. It will make the Netherlands the home of the next generation of semiconductors which will have a profound impact on the whole European tech industry.
“The Netherlands is considered a pioneer in the development of PIC technology, and thanks to the continuous support from the Dutch government, we have been able to build a full supply-chain around it that is globally recognised as a hotspot for photonic integration.
“Photonic chips are one of the most important technological breakthroughs of the last decade. Not only do they allow for the creation of devices that are faster, cheaper, more powerful and greener – they also enable radical new innovations like affordable point-of-care diagnostics or quantum computing to become a reality.”
The PhotonDelta proposal has been submitted by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate Policy in close collaboration with Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), University of Twente (UT), Delft University of Technology (TUD), Holst Centre, TNO, IMEC, PITC, CITC, OnePlanet, SMART Photonics, LioniX International, EFFECT Photonics, MantiSpectra, PhotonFirst, PHIX, and BRIGHT Photonics.
*Conditions include:
- Strategic partnership with a foundry agreed
- Research activity connected with applications of technology
- Ongoing evaluation of PhotonDelta’s ecosystem
