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PhotonHub Factory for Next-Generation Photonics Innovation Support: Boosting European Industrial Competitiveness and securing Technological Sovereignty.

Project description

Boosting competitiveness in the photonics industry

Photonics technologies, widely used in energy and telecommunications, have advanced significantly in recent years, driving critical breakthroughs in related industries and sparking increased innovation and interest. However, start-ups, SMEs and innovators in the photonics industry continue to face common challenges with funding and support, which hinder further progress. In this context, the EU-funded PHACTORY project will establish a pan-European virtual factory consortium to bolster photonics innovation in Europe. The project will bring together 30 key industry players to provide 125 carefully selected SMEs, start-ups and innovators with guidance, cost efficiencies and tailored opportunities for collaboration and connection.

Objective

PHACTORY is a unique pan-European consortium operating as a one-stop-shop virtual factory for photonics innovation support of European industry. PHACTORY brings together over 30 partners representing Europe’s top competence centers in photonics. Together the PHACTORY partners offer open streamlined access to the full spectrum of photonics technologies, expertise and supply chain activities from TRL2-7 including pilot lines and PIC foundries, combined with specialist partners in business, investment, intellectual property, and EU manufacturing support services to maximize the commercial impact from the project. PHACTORY’s ambitious work plan builds on the proven track record of over 20 years of successful collaboration between the consortium partners in previous similar EU projects and aims to go well beyond the current state-of-the-art in terms of its impact. PHACTORY will reach out broadly to European industry, especially SMEs, start-ups, and scaling companies, predominantly as first users and early adopters, to generate a critical mass of 125 carefully selected support cases with the highest potential for commercial impact. PHACTORY will work closely with the selected support cases, providing deep technology support interventions for TRL acceleration through intensive cross-border collaborative innovation projects, combined with tailored business supports to accelerate the investment readiness levels (IRL) of the supported companies. As a result, PHACTORY expects to achieve a quantified impact of at least 1250 new EU jobs, 937M€ in new company revenues, and 190M€ in new venture capital on aggregate within the supported companies directly related to the delivered PHACTORY innovation supports. The PHACTORY project will simultaneously strengthen the European photonics innovation ecosystem with more complete and mature value chains linked to EU manufacturing which are integrated into the PhotonHub Association for sustainability of the innovation support services.

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Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL4-2024-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01

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Coordinator

VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL
Net EU contribution
€ 4 179 861,59
Address
PLEINLAAN 2
1050 Bruxelles / Brussel
Belgium
Region
Région de Bruxelles-Capitale/Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest Région de Bruxelles-Capitale/ Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest Arr. de Bruxelles-Capitale/Arr. Brussel-Hoofdstad
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
€ 4 179 861,59

Participants (33)

Partners (4)