The European Union is set to invest €133m in production facilities for photonic chips in the Netherlands.
The PIXEurope consortium, which consists of parties from 11 countries, including the Netherlands, has been selected for contract negotiations to develop a European pilot plant for photonic chips.
The funding is part of a total of €380m and falls under the Chips Joint Undertaking.
It comes one month after Italy-based start-up Ephos raised $8.5m to create glass-based photonic chips at scale.
The importance of photonic chips in a low-carbon future
Photonic chips use light rather than electrons to perform calculations, with advantages in speed and power consumption.
This makes them ideal for use in areas such as data centres and motoring.
According to Dirk Beljaarts, the Dutch economy minister, “photonics is a technology of strategic importance” for the Netherlands.
He said: “We aim to gain a strong European competitive position in this area. From knowledge, innovation, supply to final production, this is necessary for the jobs and income of the future, for solving social challenges and our national security.”
Promoting research and development in the semiconductor industry
The investment forms part of a total amount of €380m to set up pilot photonic chip production plants throughout Europe, under the Chips Joint Undertaking, which centres around a European public-private partnership to promote research and development in the semiconductor industry.
Europe has been making a concerted effort over the past few years to be a leader in the semiconductor space.
In 2023, the region adopted the EU Chips Act, which aims to increase the EU’s share of global chip production from 10pc to at least 20pc by the end of the decade.
Since the Chips Act was enacted, the EU signed a deal with India to build robust supply chains and foster innovation together.
The €43bn act is designed to invest in industry players and research labs, including the Tyndall National Institute in Cork.
