photonixFAB partner SMART Photonics has welcomed the launch of Europe’s first industrial-scale facility for Indium Phosphide (InP) photonic integrated circuits (PICs) on 6-inch wafers, marking a major milestone for the European photonics ecosystem.
Announced on 9 March 2026, the new pilot line is being established by TNO, High Tech Campus Eindhoven and ecosystem partners with an investment of €150 million. The facility is designed to bridge the gap between research and volume manufacturing, providing Europe with a critical pathway from laboratory innovation to scalable production of advanced photonic chips.
As a leading European specialist in InP technology, SMART Photonics will play an important role as both an end user and contributor to the pilot line. The company is supporting the initiative by sharing its expertise in Indium Phosphide process technology, helping to accelerate the development and optimisation of 6-inch wafer manufacturing processes. SMART Photonics will also contribute to workforce development by providing training and helping build the skills needed across the European photonics value chain.
The pilot line represents an important step towards strengthening Europe’s capabilities in photonic integrated circuits and increasing technological sovereignty in a field that is critical for communications, sensing, healthcare, AI and quantum technologies.
Commenting on the initiative, Johan Feenstra, CEO of SMART Photonics, said: “We are thrilled to engage in this much-needed ecosystem initiative, which will strengthen our ability to serve our customers in all markets even better. By scaling up together, we ensure this collaboration strengthens our leading position in the Netherlands and across Europe.”
The new facility is expected to accelerate industrial adoption of InP-based PICs while reinforcing the Netherlands’ position as a key hub for photonics manufacturing. For the broader European ecosystem, the project represents a significant step towards building resilient, scalable and competitive photonic chip production capabilities.