European Commission Supports STARLight Consortium

European Commission Supports STARLight Consortium for Photonics Innovation The European Commission has selected the STARLight Project, a pioneering initiative led by STMicroelectronics, to accelerate the development of next-generation silicon photonics (SiPho) on 300 mm wafers. This ambitious effort, supported under the EU CHIPS Joint Undertaking, unites 24 leading organizations from 11 European countries, including technology firms, research institutions, and universities.

Mission: Build a Scalable, Sovereign Silicon Photonics Ecosystem in Europe

The STARLight consortium’s central mission is to establish a fully integrated, high-volume production ecosystem for silicon photonics in Europe. This includes:

Developing a robust manufacturing line for silicon-based optical modules.
Enabling advanced photonics solutions tailored to critical sectors such as data centers, telecommunications, AI infrastructure, and automotive systems.
Accelerating the integration of optical interconnects and on-chip lasers to meet increasing demands for high-speed, low-power data transmission.

The project will also focus on pioneering new materials like Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI), Lithium Niobate on Insulator (LNOI), and Barium Titanate, further expanding the capabilities and applications of photonics in future electronic systems.

Innovation Focus: Solving Core Technical Challenges

STARLight aims to tackle key challenges in the photonics domain, including:

Achieving optical modulation speeds exceeding 200 Gbps per lane.
Seamless integration of on-chip lasers to reduce system complexity and power consumption.
Designing scalable packaging solutions that preserve signal integrity in high-performance applications.

The project will deliver new reference platforms that ensure manufacturability, reliability, and cost-efficiency at scale.

Timeline and Investment

Project duration: June 2025 – May 2028
Total cost: €101.37 million
EU contribution: €25.48 million
Funding program: Digital, Indusattempt, and Space (Horizon Europe – CHIPS JU)

The strategic investment underscores Europe’s commitment to technological sovereignty, particularly in domains where secure and efficient data transfer is vital for innovation.

Driving Europe’s Technological Competitiveness

By enabling domestic manufacturing of advanced photonics solutions, STARLight directly supports Europe’s goals in digital autonomy, green computing, and next-gen communication infrastructures. The consortium’s efforts will support:

Position Europe as a global leader in photonics manufacturing.
Provide indusattempt-ready solutions for the AI, telecom, and automotive sectors.
Reduce reliance on non-European semiconductor and photonics supply chains.

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