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SMART PHOTONICS SCALING UP TO 4-INCH WAFER PRODUCTION

25 January 2024 - SMART Photonics is taking an important step in becoming the leading foundry for next generation chips. The Dutch foundry has significantly scaled up its production of photonic chips (PICs) by transferring its entire production capability from 3-inch to 4-inch wafer substrates. Confirming its technology leadership, SMART Photonics is one of the first integrated photonics foundries offering 4-inch InP wafer production. The resulting doubling of production rate translates in a lower price per chip, accelerating the commercial roll out of the foundry’s photonic chips.
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Dutch satellite instrument sends data via laser to Earth for the first time (video)

24 January 2024 - Researchers from TNO and a consortium have succeeded in sending data from a satellite to a ground station on Earth using self-developed laser communication technology. This technology, which works with invisible laser signals, enables much faster and safer data traffic than radio frequencies.
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SCIL Nanoimprint Solutions, a spin-off from Philips, secures €10 million in an investment round led by imec.xpand, Invest-NL Deep Tech Fonds, RSBG Ventures, and Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij.

13 December 2023 - Located at High Tech Campus Eindhoven, SCIL specializes in nanoimprint lithography equipment for high-volume production of devices like AR smart glasses, lasers, biosensors, and metalenses for smartphones. The technology, originating from Philips Research, offers cost-effective solutions compared to alternatives like DUV and EUV tools. With this funding, SCIL aims to accelerate global deployment, scale its business, and strengthen its position as an industry leader.
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NTS Expands Presence in US Semicon and Analytical Market

8 December 2023 - NTS, a leading Dutch high-tech contract manufacturer, announced its strategic expansion in the United States as it approaches its 10-year anniversary in the country next year. Chief Commercial Officer, Ruben Jakobs, marked the occasion with the opening of NTS' new office in Milpitas, Silicon Valley, the first step in the company's ambitious growth plans. NTS is actively recruiting skilled professionals in Development & Engineering and commercial program management to strengthen its US team. The move to Milpitas, effective December 1, 2023, not only accommodates the company's growth trajectory but also fosters collaboration and innovation at the heart of Silicon Valley.
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At the end of 2023, Tjarko Bouman, CEO of NTS Group, will depart and take on the top executive role at BDR Thermea Group

1 December 2023 - Tjarko Bouman, CEO of Eindhoven-based NTS Group, a key supplier to the high-tech manufacturing industry, will step down at the end of December 2023 to assume the role of CEO at BDR Thermea Group starting 1 February 2024. Under Bouman's leadership since 2020, NTS implemented a refined strategy, attracting significant investments and achieving a top-three position in the global semiconductor and analytical niche market. Despite leaving with a heavy heart, Bouman looks forward to a new challenge at BDR Thermea, a company with a €2.2 billion turnover, over 6,800 employees, and a presence in over 100 countries.
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Voestalpine opens world’s most advanced special steel plant in Kapfenberg

18 October 2023 - With today’s official opening of the state-of-the-art special steel plant in Kapfenberg, voestalpine marks a technological milestone in the production of pioneering high-performance materials for the international automotive, energy, and aerospace industries. The new plant, the world’s most advanced in terms of digitalization and sustainability, is also the first of its type to be constructed in Europe in four decades. The region is reaping significant economic benefits from investment in this major project.
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NEW UT FACILITY OPENED: ADVANCED MANUFACTURING CENTRE (AMC) FOR SMART INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS

10 October 2023 - Fraunhofer Innovation Platform for Advanced Manufacturing at the University of Twente, which provides research support for the manufacturing industry in the East of the Netherlands, is expanding its efforts this week. Today the new facility opened: the Advanced Manufacturing Centre (AMC) on Kennispark next to the university in Enschede. The AMC is open for business and will offer manufacturers the opportunity to experience and explore future possibilities towards implementing smart industry solutions.
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Photonics startup SuperLight Photonics from Enschede raises seed capital in investment round with DeepTechXL and Oost NL

14 September 2023 - SuperLight Photonics, a spin-off from the University of Twente, is developing a wideband laser that can be used as a 'light source' in, among other things, measurement and detection applications. Today the company announces that a seed investment round has been completed. The round is supervised by Dutch Deep Tech investor DeepTechXL together with Oost NL. With the investment, SuperLight Photonics further develops the platform technology into unique products and (sub)systems. Oost NL invests from Overijssel Innovation Fund, a fund of the province of Overijssel that Oost NL manages
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Quix Quantum is a step further into the future.

12 September 2023 - The Enschede-based QuiX Quantum is creating the most potent photonic quantum computer in the world, capable of doing calculations at the speed of light. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Hengesbach, the company's CEO, and investment manager Jordy Schaufeli discuss the possible contribution of quantum computing to the resolution of significant social problems. And what Oost NL can do to hasten the development of their QuiX Quantums technology through the Innovation Fund Overijssel.
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Ocean Insight Announces Richard Curran as New President Rob Morris

7 September 2023 - Ocean Insight, a leading photonics company, has named Richard Curran as its new president. Curran will lead the company’s efforts in creating innovative optical sensing solutions that enable customers to solve meaningful problems in health, safety, and the environment.
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SEDI-ATI WELCOMES A NEW INVESTMENT FUND

11 July 2023 - SEDI-ATI Fibres Optiques is pleased to welcome Yotta Capital Partners as a new investment fund and majority shareholder.
In July 2016, SEDI-ATI Fibres Optiques (SEDI-ATI) was taken over by JF Vinchant Holding Strategy (JFVHS), itself majority-owned by Jean-François Vinchant, Chairman and CEO of SEDI-ATI, with the support of the investment fund IDF Capital. Seven years later, the exit of IDF Capital provided the opportunity to carry out a capital operation with a new investment fund, Yotta Capital Partners (Yotta).
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SMART PHOTONICS Secures €100 MLN in Additional Funding

12 July 2023 - SMART Photonics, the Dutch foundry for photonic integrated circuits, has secured an additional round of funding of €100 mln from a group of strategic industry and financial Dutch players.
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Celebrating Optics11’s Winning Contribution to the EDF-funded SCUALE and CASSATA Projects

05 July 2023 - Optics11 is excited to announce their participation in the SCUALE and CASSATA projects, funded by the European Defence Fund (EDF). These innovative programs aim to revolutionize the defense technology and equipment landscape, bolstering research and development efforts while fostering innovative breakthroughs. Here’s an insight into our involvement in these projects and how we’re contributing towards a stronger and more secure Europe.
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imec and ASML sign Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support semiconductor research and sustainable innovation in Europe.

28 June 2023 – imec, a leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, and ASML Holding N.V. (ASML), a leading supplier to the semiconductor industry, today announce that they intend to intensify their collaboration in the next phase of developing a state-of-the-art high-numerical aperture (High-NA) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography pilot line at imec.
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Scantinel Photonics win 2nd place in Top 100 Innovator Award

23 June 2023 – ecognition at the German SME Summit: Ranga Yogeshwar congratulates Scantinel Photonics GmbH from Ulm on being awarded the TOP 100 seal. The award ceremony as part of the summit took place on Friday, June 23, in Augsburg for all medium-sized companies that received the TOP 100 seal at the beginning of the year. The science journalist oversees the innovation competition as a mentor, which is being held for the 30th time. In the scientific selection process, Scantinel Photonics impressed in size class A (up to 50 employees) in all innovation categories and came second in its class.
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Voestalpine is expanding in Poland

12 June 2023 - Voestalpine Rotec in Poland opened a new, approx. 4,000 m² large production hall. It will significantly enhance our Polish subsidiary's capacity to effectively meet the evolving tubular component needs of our customers from the automotive as well as other industries. The new, fully automated state-of-the art production lines were designed and built by, and installed in close cooperation with, our German voestalpine Rotec Engineering Center in Annweiler.
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QMware and QuiX Quantum to establish the first fully integrated Hybrid Quantum Computing Data Center

15 May 2023 - QMware and QuiX Quantum collaborate to develop the first fully integrated, hybrid quantum-classical platform in Enschede, the Netherlands, where QuiX Quantum’s headquarters are located. The hybrid architecture integrates high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure with native quantum computing technology onsite for the first time globally. The new data centre is expected to be fully operational for commercial applications in August 2023.
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Delta Diagnostics raises €5.25 million in Series A Funding to Revolutionize Biosensing Technology

9 May 2023 –Dutch start-up, Delta Diagnostics, a leader in label-free, multiplexed biosensing, announced today that it has successfully secured Series A funding of €5.25 million. The funding round was made possible by a consortium of four investors: i&i Biotech Fund, Oost NL, InnovationQuarter and PhotonDelta. The investment will fuel the company’s ambitious vision of making rapid, sensitive, and low-cost biosensors accessible to all, transforming the Life Sciences industry and paving the way for novel and faster solutions in Life Sciences research.
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LioniX International, PhotonDelta, PhiX, and QuiX Quantum were honoured to receive King Willem Alexander at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven.

20 April 2023 –The king of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, visited today the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven. All the discussion was about integrated photonics and how this technology is seen worldwide as decisive for developing smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient devices. With a demonstration at Holst Center and a roundtable discussion at PhotonDelta, the king learned about the essence and the application of this technology and the importance of Photonics for the future of the Netherlands and Europe.
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New Origin secures €6 million to build independent photonic chips foundry

12 April 2023 –New Origin has secured €6 million in funding from PhotonDelta – a cross-border ecosystem of photonic chip technology organisations. The capital will be used to create the Netherland’s first independent photonic chips foundry that produces silicon nitride chips. The funding is part of the contribution that the Province of Overijssel has made available to PhotonDelta for a national photonics programme.
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Defending Our Oceans: How OPTICS11’s Breakthrough Technology Outsmarts North Korea’s Deadly Underwater Drones

27 March 2023 –North Korea has recently unveiled its new suicide Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) named “Haeil,” which state media KCNA suggests is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. With these drones posing an alarming threat to strategically important locations and fleets of warships, it’s vital that we evolve our defense tactics to be better prepared for unforeseen circumstances. OPTICS11, a leading global supplier of cutting-edge fiber optic sensing systems, offers the ideal solution to help safeguard our vital assets offshore.
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Smart Photonics won the European Innovation Council (EIC) “ScalingUp Impact Investment Award”

09 March 2023 –Smart Photonics won the European Innovation Council (EIC) “ScalingUp Impact Investment Award” at the Tech Tour Growth Awards, an annual ranking of Europe's top fifty companies with the greatest potential to become unicorns. The award was handed over to the CEO Johan Feenstra at the Tech Tour Growth Award event in Paris on 8th of March.
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MicroAlign received the illustrious visit of the Queen of the Netherlands

16 February 2023 –Last February 16, the royal Queen of the Netherlands, Maxima visited the photonics center research Eindhoven Hendrik Casimir Institute (EHCI), showing great interest. During the visit, the Queen and the other participants discussed the strong position in the field of photonics and what is needed to maintain and expand that position. Simone Cardarelli (MicroAlign) showed the Queen the lab where MicroAlign works and the demo. He explained the importance of accurate fiber array alignment to improve the performance of photonic devices.
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QuiX Quantum wins the renowned Prism Award 2023 in the Quantum Tech category

06 February 2023 –QuiX Quantum has been awarded the Prism Award, touted as the “Oscars of Photonics”, for their 20-mode Quantum Photonic Processor. This recognition is a great accomplishment for the Dutch photonic quantum computing company, as it is another validation of their commercially available, market-leading quantum hardware.
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Ocean Insight – the best photonics product in the category Sensor at SPIE 2023 – Prism Award

2 February 2023 - Ocean Insight is the winner! SpeedSorter, a LIBS-based system developed by the Ocean Applied group for scrap metals sorting, is the winner of the Sensors category in the 2023 Prism Awards. It is the 15th anniversary of the awards, which recognizes the best new photonics products on the market.
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Avantes – Limitless Possibilities

31 January 2023 - Avantes released the Pacto Spectrometer device to revolutionize the world of spectroscopy. From in-line quality control in fruit sorting to blood analysis in the medical field, the Pacto ensures wide usability in various applications and industries. “We are thrilled to introduce the Pacto spectrometer to the market,” said Avantes CEO Pierre Warffemius. “With its superior optical performance, easy integration, and customizable features, the Pacto is a stand-out choice for anyone that can take advantage of spectroscopy in their business or research.”  
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PhiX is part of the Ranking Technology Fast 50 2022

20 January 2023 – This year marked the 23rd edition of the Technology Fast 50. With this annual ranking, the fifty fastest growing technology companies in the Netherlands are recognized for their exceptional growth performance. Emanuel Veldhuis of Deloitte congratulated the PhiX CEO Albert Hasper with the 29 rank in the Fast50 fastest growing technology companies of 2022 in The Netherlands, with a growth percentage of 891% we're actually the number1 manufacturing company in this list!
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Metal Recycling Podcast: Ocean Insight from the Experts

20 January 2023 – Have a free half-hour this weekend to satisfy your technology fix? Our latest ASK Podcast brings insights from industry experts on metal recycling. Steve Buckley, Marcel Epping, and Lu Luo were interviewed by Rob Morris. Tune in!
Read the check the podcast here

QuiX Quantum appoints new CTO as predecessor becomes Chief Scientist

19 January 2023 – QuiX Quantum, market leader for quantum computing with light, has strengthened its technical leadership with the appointment of Dr. Devin Smith as Chief Technology Officer while co-founder and former CTO Dr. Jelmer Renema steps into the new role of Chief Scientist..
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Offshore Solar Platform: 3 gigawatt peak (GWp) of solar power by 2030

9 January 2023 – The Offshore Solar Platform (POS) was officially launched on 1 January 2023. For now, the platform consists of a core group of Dutch companies whose ambition is the development and roll-out of offshore solar power, together with TNO.
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Dutch Consortium invests €3.5 million in LioniX International

9 January 2023 – A Dutch consortium led by Invest-NL and FORWARD.one, and further consisting of Universiteit Twente Holding, Oost NL and PhotonDelta, invests €3.5 million in the growth ambitions of LioniX International, an Enschede based global leader in customized microsystem solutions. The consortium sees her investment in LioniX International as an illustration of its strong commitment to further strengthening the Dutch Deep Tech ecosystem and ChipTech Twente in particular.
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Addoptics to Debut Nano Polymer Lenses Fully Customizable Down to the Nanometer at CES 2023.

5 January 2023 – Addoptics, an industrial-quality optics company, today announced the official launch event for their beta of NanoOptics – high-tech, customizable lens shapes that can be prototyped and manufactured rapidly for any business utilizing complex microlenses. Unveiled today at CES 2023, the ultra-lightweight lenses are precise down to the nanometer level and provide meticulous optical clarity, produced with ultra-clear materials that hold up against temperature changes, UV impacts and scratching.insulators..
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Twente University: Nearly five million euros for research into chips, friction and stents

20 October 2022 - In November, UT is launching three public-private research projects in collaboration with the High-Tech Systems and Materials (HTSM) top sector. These projects relate to chip design, friction and wear processes, and patient-specific stents. The total budget for these projects is 4.9 million euros and the projects have been initiated in the Top Technology Twente programme ‘Connecting Industries’.
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New Ocean HR2 spectrometer offers rapid acquisition speed and high thermal stability

17 October 2022 - Ocean Insight, the applied spectral knowledge company, introduces the Ocean HR2 spectrometer, a high resolution, configurable spectrometer that provides rapid acquisition speed and excellent thermal stability for applications ranging from plasma monitoring to pharmaceuticals analysis.
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QuiX Quantum wins €14 million contract with the German Aerospace Center to deliver a Universal Quantum Computer

23 September 2022 - Market leader for Photonic Quantum Processors, QuiX Quantum, will create a prototype Photonic Quantum Computer for the German Aerospace Center (DLR). This European company is the first ever to sell a Universal Quantum Computer based on photonics, worldwide.
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PHIX develops innovative packaging solutions for ultra-high speed hybrid PICs in PATTERN project

19 September 2022 - The Horizon Europe project PATTERN will develop the world’s first Process and Assembly Design Kits (PDK & ADK) for microwave photonics at ultra‐high frequencies (100+ GHz) as well as new methods or heterogeneous integration of III-V gain materials (e.g. InP) and BiCMOS drivers with electro-optic and nonlinear platforms such as lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI). It also envisions new and advanced PIC building blocks, such as acousto-optic modulators (AOMs) and magneto-optic insulators.
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Appointment of new Managing Director

13 September 2022 - LouwersHanique announces the appointment of Kees Verspaandonk as our Managing Director, effective from 1 September 2022. Kees has a strong technical background and vast experience in increasing operational performance and innovating products for further growth. In the past, he led Thomas Regout International and ABEO Group; in the latter company, Kees was in charge of 5 companies across the Benelux region.
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Global energy leader GE and PhotonFirst enter into partnership for development of transformer monitoring solutions

12 September 2022 - With a signing ceremony on the premises of GE’s Grid Solutions in Lisburn, GE and PhotonFirst announced a strategic technology collaboration. As the energy transition accelerates, reliability and optimization of key grid assets such as power and network transformers are critical, with real-time monitoring increasingly important to create smarter and safer grids. Fiber optical sensing based on integrated photonics offers exciting new opportunities to monitor the performance of transformers in a scalable, low-cost, robust and intelligent way.
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Nedinsco and Smart Delta announce strategic cooperation to develop a robust, high-end 360° camera system for mobile mapping applications

21 July 2022 – Smart Delta and Nedinsco announce a strategic cooperation for the development, production and after-sales service of a robust, high-end, modular 360° camera system, to be used for mobile mapping and other applications.
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SMART Photonics and TU/e enter into strategic partnership

21 July 2022 – SMART Photonics, an independent pure-play foundry producing high-end Photonic Integrated Circuits, and Eindhoven University of Technology (“TU/e”), a leading Dutch university in science and technology, today signed a long-term strategic partnership agreement. This strategic partnership is aimed at further strengthening the development of Indium Phosphide (InP) photonic integration technology and providing a smooth path of new technologies to end customers. Both SMART Photonics and TU/e are leading players in photonics and share the ambition to further develop the strong photonics ecosystem, putting Europe at the heart of this rapidly growing industry.
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New MicroAlign prototype available

18 July 2022 – Developing new technology is hard work. With the efforts of our team we have been evolving our technology at the speed of light, and we have now a working prototype where you can experience the benefits of our alignment method. The prototype also includes a sophisticated electronic controller and software for a simple use. Have you become curious? You don’t have to wait any longer, get in touch today and take advantage of the early bird evaluation where you will receive a discount on the prototype. While you already start using our alignment device we will continue working on bringing our technology to the next level.
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Cash Infusion For Photonics-Focused Biosensor Startup Delta Diagnostics

14 July 2022 – Biosensor R&D start-up Delta Diagnostics has received a seed investment from two leading innovators: research organisation TNO – The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research – and PhotonDelta, an ecosystem of photonic chip technology organisations. This investment enables Delta Diagnostics to further develop and validate its biosensor systems in preparation for a Series A investment round later this year. Read the complete news item here.

New website Delta Diagnostics

11 July 2022 – Start-up Delta Diagnostics has a fantastic new website!
Check it yourself!.

perClass joins Headwall Photonics

6 July 2022 – Headwall Photonics, a world-leader in high-performance hyperspectral imaging systems and OEM devices for applications in remote sensing and industrial machine vision including food quality/safety inspection, precision agriculture, and environmental monitoring, amongst others, announced today its strategic growth investment in perClass BV. perClass is the developer of the industry leading perClass Mira® spectral analysis software package, which integrates with various spectral sensors and enables intuitive spectral imaging analysis for advanced machine vision applications in research, industrial, and various commercial deployments.
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QuiX Quantum lands €5.5 million for development of world’s most powerful photonic quantum computer

6 July 2022 – The funding will take QuiX a step closer to creating the world’s most powerful photonic quantum computer. It also marks the first major investment by PhotonDelta since it secured €1.1 billion in investment to expand the Dutch photonics ecosystem.
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