Introduction

In April 2022, the Dutch government announced a major investment in the development of an industrial integrated photonics ecosystem, in the form of a 1.1 billion euros “growth fund” program, of which 470 million euros will be publicly funded. TU/e is a key partner in this consortium and will deliver the research needed for next-generation InP photonic integration technology, and for its application in communication, automotive, health and agrifood. Together with the other PhotonDelta partners, we are proud of this achievement and fully committed to make this program successful.

In 2022 the newly founded Eindhoven Hendrik Casimir Institute (EHCI) started its in-person activities, including its kick-off event, and a

series of scientific colloquia. It also had a first call for internal projects to seed new research directions, and four interdisciplinary teams will explore their novel ideas. Additionally, some research areas in the EHCI scope have seen rapid growth in the last year, with the foundation of the Center for Terahertz Science and Technology Eindhoven and several new projects at the intersection of photonics and quantum technology.

Our community was also very active in innovation and outreach. PHOTON IP, a new spin-off, was founded and an internal process for early scouting and coaching of potential entrepreneurs was started, the Photonics Ideation Booster Process, with an internal call for valorisation tickets. Our technologies were also showcased to the public at the NWO Teknowlogy innovation festival and the Dutch Design Week.

In this edition of SPOT ON you can read about these developments, along with recent research results and other news from our community. Enjoy and keep in touch!