Construction has started in Eindhoven on the world’s first industrial factory for indium phosphide (InP) photonic chips on a 6-inch wafer scale. With an investment of €150 million from the European PIXEurope consortium and the EU Chips Act, the project is set to get off the ground. After the start-up phase, approximately 40 specialists will work in the factory, a number that is expected to increase further.
TNO and High Tech Campus Eindhoven took the initiative, assisted by European Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, Minister Heleen Herbert of Economic Affairs, and Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius of Defense.
Photonic chips process data using light instead of electricity. They are energy-efficient, fast, and widely applicable for AI data centers, 6G networks, and medical systems. TNO had previously announced that the factory would be located at the High Tech Campus, as part of the Photonic Integration Technology Centre (PITC), with a total investment of €153 million.
From lab to industrial production
The new facility bridges the gap between R&D and scalable production. Companies can test and validate photonic technology on an industrial scale there. “With this factory, TNO is taking a unique step: for the first time, we are building an industrial pilot line. By bringing research and production closer together, we are strengthening the Netherlands’ position within the European semiconductor landscape and helping companies to scale up high-quality photonic technology more quickly and efficiently,” says Tjark Tjin-A-Tsoi, CEO of TNO.
The project is a public-private partnership between TNO, TU/e, PhotonDelta, SMART Photonics, and High Tech Campus Eindhoven.
The €150 million investment is a direct result of the European Chips Act and is part of the pan-European consortium PIXEurope. The goal: Europe wants to anchor the production of photonic chips on its own soil, for both economic and security purposes. The global market for photonic integrated circuits is growing from $12.4 billion in 2024 to an expected $78.9 billion in 2034. With this factory, the Netherlands wants to take a central place in that growing ecosystem.