The European Commission’s Chips Programme has selected the European pilot line for photonic chips, named “PIXEurope,” and has initiated negotiations to fund the project. Coordinated at the continental level by the BIST Community Centre ICFO, and with the support of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and of Civil Service of the Government of Spain, and the Government of Catalonia, PIXEurope will mobilize investments of about 400 million euros to offer unique technological capabilities to industry, with the aim of enhancing its capacity regarding photonic chips and positioning Europe as a global leader.
A Booming Photonic Chips Market
The growing demands of the digital society are driving an exponential expansion in the global market for photonic integrated circuits (PICs), which is expected to grow by over 400% in the next decade. By the end of the decade, the global photonics market is projected to surpass 1,500 billion euros—a figure comparable to Spain’s annual GDP. Currently, photonic chips represent only a small fraction of this market, but their share is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.
This remarkable growth is due to the prevailing need and demand for devices for applications in areas such as telecommunications, artificial intelligence, image sensing, automotive and mobility, medicine and healthcare, environmental care, renewable energy, defense and security, and a wide range of consumer applications sectors. The necessary features and specifications for such applications are provided by the combination of microelectronic chips and photonic chips. The former are responsible for information processing by manipulating electrons within circuits based on silicon and its variants, while the latter uses photons in the visible and infrared spectrum ranges in a wide variety of materials.
PIXEurope: A Key Pillar of the European Chips Act
As part of the European Chips Strategy, the so-called European Chips Act, the European Commission has announced the creation of PIXEurope, a new pilot line for photonic chips. Its mission is to provide cutting-edge technology platforms, transforming and transferring innovative photonic integration processes to accelerate industrial adoption. This initiative aims to establish European ownership in a critical sector for technological sovereignty, thereby creating and maintaining jobs within the EU.
The European Commission has selected this programme as its 5th pilot line and has chosen the proposal led by ICFO to coordinate it at continental level. The pilot line consortium also involves participating entities from Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Within Spain, the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC), the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the Universidad de Vigo (UVigo) are directly participating, and the entire Spanish community in the sector will benefit. The pilot line is co-financed by the Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service of the Government of Spain and supported by the Government of Catalonia.
Over the next decade, PIXEurope will elevate Europe’s production capacity and innovation potential, enabling companies to develop and prototype photonic chip-based products. It will also assist research organizations in bridging the gap between laboratory innovation and industrial-scale production, accelerating commercialization and supporting start-up creation.
Building a European PIC Ecosystem
PIXEurope will focus on designing and developing an optimized manufacturing chain, involving end users and industry partners to evaluate production processes to be transfered at an industrial scale. The ultimate goal is to create a unique European PIC ecosystem with open access services to the user, establishing itself establishing the world’s first fully integrated open-access PIC pilot line.
Valerio Pruneri, ICREA Professor, ICFO Group Leader and Director of the pilot line, highlights: “PIXEurope is the first Photonic Chip Pilot Line in Europe that unifies diverse materials, processes, and integration techniques that will allow the development and demonstration of devices and systems for all applications where Photonics is a key technology.”
Oscar López, Spain’s Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Administration, commented: “Projects like this don’t materialize out of thin air. They are achieved because the government’s priorities align with Brussels’ established need to promote digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy. That is why nearly one in every three euros of European funds is allocated specifically to the country’s digital transformation. We are reindustrializing Spain with a focus on digitalization. The chip is the cornerstone of digitalization, and this time, Spain will not miss the train of this revolution but will be, and remain, at the forefront.”
Núria Montserrat, Minister for Research and Universities of the Government of Catalonia, stated: “Catalonia is one of Spain’s primary technological engines. We boast a unique ecosystem combining top-tier talent, state-of-the-art infrastructures like the ALBA Synchrotron and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), and research centers and universities deeply committed to innovation and knowledge transfer. This robust value chain is essential to fostering the creation of new companies based on excellent knowledge.”
About Chips JU
The European Commission’s Chips Joint Undertaking supports research, development, innovation, and future manufacturing capacities in the European semiconductor ecosystem. It was launched by the European Union Council Regulation No 2021/1085 and amended in September 2023 as part of the Chips for Europe Initiative. It confronts semiconductor shortages and strengthens Europe’s digital autonomy, engaging a significant EU, national/regional and private industry funding of nearly €11 billion. The Chips JU is funded by the European Union, Chips JU Participating States and Private Members.
In April of 2024, the Chips JU announced the selection of four pilot lines to be implemented in Europe. Now, the PIC Pilot Line becomes the fifth to enter negotiations, in a key effort to strengthen capacity building and innovation in Europe. Aligned with the objectives of the Chips for Europe Initiative, this Pilot Line is expected to closely collaborate with the other Chips JU Pilot Lines, Design Platform and Competence Centres.
