Global Photonics Engineering Contest

This engineering challenge invites engineers, innovators, and startups to push the boundaries of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC) and create applications that address complex engineering challenges and push the boundaries of the industry. Whether you’re in semiconductors, data & telecom, medtech, or agritech, we want to see your breakthrough idea that can harness the power of PICs to change the world.

• Prize: €50,000 worth of services from the PhotonDelta ecosystem to to make your idea market-ready + a chance to receive up to €2 million in pre-seed funding.
• Audience: Open to all engineers, researchers, OEMs, hardware manufacturers, startups/scale-ups, research teams, and students working on innovative PIC applications.
• End date: March 3rd 2025

Mark your calendar—The challenge kicks off on October 15, 2024!

We are amid massive technological innovation and change with data generation and sensing devices advancing at an unprecedented rate. Traditional electronic microchip technology alone is struggling to keep up, necessitating the integration of photonic functionalities. The synergy between electronics and integrated photonics provides a sustainable path forward, addressing critical challenges such as the growing demand for 5G networks, data centers, safer autonomous vehicles, and more efficient food production. 

Suggested reading: Key Application Areas for Integrated Photonics

Photonics operates similarly to electronics, but instead of using electrons, it relies on photons to transmit information. This technology enables the detection, generation, transmission, and processing of light. Applications of photonics today include lasers, sensors, and fiber-optic networks. Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) combine multiple photonic functions onto a single chip, enabling the creation of devices that are faster, smaller, more energy-efficient, and capable of advanced performance. 

Suggested reading: An introduction to Integrated Photonics

By harnessing the power of light, PICs excel at processing and transmitting data while offering ultra-precise sensing capabilities. They can also be seamlessly integrated with traditional electronic chips.

Can you design a new PIC application?

From climate change and healthcare to high-speed data communication, quantum computing, advanced sensing, or optical signal processing, we’re seeking innovative ideas in PIC technology.

Join this challenge for your chance to bring your idea to life and contribute to solving real-world problems.

Who Should Apply?

The challenge is open to all engineers, researchers, OEMs, hardware manufacturers, startups/scale-ups, research teams, and students working on innovative PIC applications.

We encourage all engineers with a vision how PICs can enable solutions of the future to participate.

Strong submissions will be innovative projects that tackle real-world challenges while showcasing the potential of PIC technology. All entries must demonstrate a clear application of PICs in their solution.

How to Enter?

Submit your entry via this form. You will be asked for a comprehensive idea description, details of your team, and images or videos that support your idea/project.

Successful designs will be judged on the following submission criteria:

• Level of innovation in the application.

• How the entry addresses current engineering challenges and pushes the boundaries of the industry. 

• Quality of submitted diagrams and visuals to support the idea.

• Feasibility of solution, technically and commercially.

Mark your calendar—The challenge kicks off on October 15, 2024!

Prize

One overall winner/winning team

• €50,000 of services from the PhotonDelta ecosystem to to make your idea market-ready.

• A chance to receive up to €2 million in pre-seed funding (company must be based in the Netherlands).

• Two tickets, including travel and accommodation, to pitch your idea at a major tech event.

• PR coverage from international media outlets (articles, videos, etc.).

What does the €50,000 in technology services to help bring your product to market include?

Design & Testing

A professional PIC design expert will review and validate your design to ensure it meets all the necessary requirements for manufacturability. They’ll make sure your design aligns with the protocols of the foundries, reducing potential issues in production. With access to a library of pre-tested building blocks, the design process will be more efficient, saving both time and costs while ensuring a smooth transition to manufacturing.

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Once the design is complete, the next step is fabrication. For early-stage projects, cost-effective prototyping through Multi-Project Wafer (MPW) runs allows multiple designs to share a wafer, keeping costs down. If your project is ready for larger-scale production, pilot lines are available to help scale and validate your product for commercial use.

Packaging & Assembly

After fabrication, the PICs will be packaged and assembled to ensure they’re ready for integration into your final product. This process can combine photonic and electronic components into a single module, balancing performance and cost. The packaging also includes all necessary connections, optical interfaces, and thermal management to make sure your product functions reliably in the real world.

Judging Process and Panel

The challenge entries will be reviewed by a 5-person judging panel of leaders from PhotonDelta and partners.

The judging panel will reward projects that push the boundaries of how PIC technology is applied. 

Key Dates

• Challenge Launch: October 15th

• Submission Deadline: March 3rd 2025

• Public Winners Announcement: April 2nd 2025

Learn more about cutting-edge applications with Photonic Chips

Senergetics is developing a fiber-optic sensing system to detect corrosion in industrial piping, which could significantly cut maintenance costs and reduce CO2 emissions. Their technology offers continuous monitoring even in hard-to-reach areas like insulated pipes.

Ommatidia is advancing LiDAR technology, aiming to move from niche applications to mass markets like automotive and industrial metrology. Their enhanced photonic integrated circuits allow for faster, more precise data collection, making this tech ideal for areas like autonomous vehicles and infrastructure monitoring.

Spectrik is addressing the nitrogen crisis with real-time sensing technology that helps farmers measure emissions more accurately. This breakthrough allows for tailored, cost-effective solutions that can improve both animal welfare and environmental impact.

About the host: PhotonDelta

PhotonDelta is a non-profit organisation supporting an end-to-end value chain for photonic chips that designs, develops, and manufactures innovative solutions that contribute to a better world. We do so by creating global awareness and promoting the benefits and potential of the photonic chip industry and its technologies.

PhotonDelta is committed to facilitating the growth of startups, the creation of new photonic chip applications, as well as the development of infrastructure and talent. Leveraging funding from the National Growth Fund, alongside strategic investments, we catalyse the acceleration of the photonic chip industry by stimulating industrialisation of PIC technology, and PIC-based application building, and forging connections with viable markets and stakeholders.

About Design & Testing Partner: Bright Photonics

Bright Photonics specializes in photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design and testing, offering services that span the full development process—from application ideas to prototypes and designs ready for volume production. With experience across over 30 foundries and more than 300 PIC designs, Bright Photonics provides a comprehensive design platform that includes pre-tested building blocks and customizable design modules. They help optimize designs for manufacturability, ensuring smooth transitions to production by working closely with foundries.

About Design & Testing Partner: Epiphany Design

Epiphany Design focuses on advanced photonic design services, ensuring your PIC designs meet the necessary requirements for functionality and manufacturability. They collaborate with clients throughout the development cycle, from initial concept through design validation. With deep expertise in PIC technology and rigorous testing protocols, they ensure that all designs align with the technical demands of the production process, helping to mitigate risk and reduce overall development time.

About Manufacturing & Prototyping Partner: imec

imec is a leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, offering cutting-edge manufacturing solutions for photonic integrated circuits. imec supports the transition from design to prototyping through their advanced fabrication facilities, helping developers bring their PIC designs to life. They offer cost-effective prototyping solutions such as multi-project wafer (MPW) runs, making it accessible to smaller projects while ensuring scalability for larger production.

About Manufacturing & Prototyping Partner: LioniX International

LioniX International specializes in the scalable manufacturing of customized microsystems, including photonic integrated circuits. With a strong focus on manufacturability and scalability, LioniX ensures that designs are ready for large-scale production while maintaining the flexibility needed for custom prototyping. Their expertise in MEMS and integrated photonics allows them to support a wide range of applications, making them a key player in bringing complex PIC designs into production.

About Manufacturing & Prototyping Partner: SMART Photonics

SMART Photonics provides foundry services for the manufacturing of InP-based photonic integrated circuits. Their specialization in high-quality PIC fabrication allows them to offer both prototyping and production solutions. Through their MPW runs and custom foundry services, they enable cost-effective prototyping while ensuring that designs are production-ready, supporting a wide range of industrial applications.

About Packaging & Assembly Partner: PHIX

PHIX focuses on packaging and assembly services for photonic integrated circuits, combining photonic and electronic components into fully functional modules. Their advanced packaging solutions are designed to optimize performance and ensure reliability in real-world applications. PHIX’s services include creating robust optical interfaces, managing thermal performance, and ensuring that all necessary connections are ready for seamless integration into final products.