Photonics based manufacturing, access to photonics, datacom photonics and connected lighting

Topic description

Specific Challenge:

Photonics research in Europe is widely recognized for its excellence; researchers however experience difficulties in demonstrating their conceptual breakthroughs. The challenge is to reinforce the innovation ecosystem by providing access to advanced photonics technology to researchers and thereby accelerating the deployment of the next generation of disruptive photonics technologies.

Photonic integration combined with cost-effective assembly and packaging processes enables a drastic level of miniaturization, reducing the costs of implementation and energy consumption. The challenge is to build capabilities for automated mass manufacturing of datacom photonics in Europe.

LED/OLED lighting is now becoming the dominant lighting technology and the market focus is shifting from energy efficiency to additional smart features. The challenge is the integration of lighting with the Internet of Things, offering new functionalities beyond illumination.

The development and application of innovative photonics based manufacturing solutions will open new ways of producing more goods with fewer raw materials, less energy and less waste. The challenge is to develop systems which deliver improved accuracy, power and control and which will enable the next generation of manufacturing in a range of industrial sectors.

The focus is on the following themes:

a) Innovation Actions

1. Access to advanced photonics for researchers: The objective is provide photonics and non-photonics researchers with a one-stop-shop access to a wide range of existing cutting edge technology platforms as well as services needed to facilitate their use (such as design, measurement and packaging).
2. Enabling automated mass-manufacturing of datacom photonics products: Actions should demonstrate automated manufacturing of optical transceivers with transfer rates above 1Tb/s at competitive costs according to the interconnection distance. Actions should cover all manufacturing steps of proven designs from chip manufacturing to photonic/electronic integration through to packaging and testing, and final demonstration in a real environment. Standardisation should be addressed.
3. Connected Lighting: The action should focus on integrating lighting infrastructure with the Internet of Things and demonstrating new functionalities such as visible light communication for indoor positioning and broadband data communication. Development and integration of new technologies as security and multicast communication into open architectures must be demonstrated in real environments. Standardisation of a reference architecture must be one of the main goals of the action.

Maximum one proposal will be selected to cover each of the themes i and iii. The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU between EUR 3 and 6 million would allow these themes to be addressed appropriately. Nevertheless this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

b) Research and Innovation Actions

1. Highly Productive Ultra-Short Laser Systems for Fast Materials Processing: the development of ultra-short pulse laser systems with pulse durations in the nanosecond regime down to the femtosecond regime and with average beam power levels of at least 1kW enabling fast materials processing with minimal heat impact on the work piece. Pulse energies and wavelengths must be appropriate for the intended application. Proposals may include also the related monitoring and closed loop control aspects. The developed system should be demonstrated with a relevant industrial application.
2. Tailored Laser Beams for Laser-based Manufacturing: new methods and schemes of beam shaping providing the optimal energy delivery on the work piece with a high spatial and temporal resolution. Proposals may include also the related monitoring and closed loop control aspects. The developed system should be demonstrated with a relevant industrial application.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU between EUR 3 and 6 million would allow these themes to be addressed appropriately. Nevertheless this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Proposals should describe how the proposed work will contribute to the listed corresponding expected impacts and include baseline, targets and metrics to measure impact.

a) Innovation Actions

i. A strengthening European innovation ecosystem and improved cross fertilisation between photonics and other technology areas.

ii. Reduced manufacturing cost of PIC-based optical transceivers with transfer rates above 1Tb/s enabling massive deployment in datacenter environments (<1€/Gbps between racks and <0.1€/Gbps inside racks).

iii. Enabling Europe to maintain and build on its leading position in innovative lighting solutions by making lighting part of the Internet of Things and unlocking new application domains.

b) Research and Innovation Actions

i. Strengthening industrial manufacturing based on ultra-short pulse lasers and extending its field of applications by simultaneous improvement of precision and productivity; significant contribution to the digitization of European industry.

ii. Substantial contribution to digital photonic production with increased productivity, flexibility and customized products ("first time right") at significantly reduced costs.

Contractual Public-Private Partnerships (cPPPs)
Photonics