The logo of Smart Photonics is seen at their headquarters in Eindhoven, Netherlands, November 7, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de WouwAMSTERDAM : Executives from a group of Europe's largest"photonic" computer chip companies have called on the European Union to support the growing industry with 4.25 billion euros in funding to help it compete with rivals in Asia and the United States.
The group presented EU officials at a summit in Eindhoven with an eight-year plan to support and build European supply chains, as well as guaranteeing smaller companies access manufacturing sites to conduct test runs. The European Union has previously designated photonics as a strategic technology, and named it as an area for potential funding under the 43 billion euro Chips Act passed in April, but it is not clear what resources are actually being devoted to photonics.
Currently most photonics chips, like most chips, are made in Asia, with important intellectual property in the U.S.