SANT’ANNA SCHOOL TECIP INSTITUTE IS A PARTNER IN THE HORIZON2020 PHOTONHUB EUROPE: A ONE-STOP-SHOP SOLUTION OFFERING SUPPORT TO INDUSTRY FOR THE ACCELERATED UPTAKE AND DEPLOYMENT OF PHOTONICS IN EUROPE
The Horizon 2020 PhotonHub Europe four-year project aims at accelerating the deployment of photonics technologies particularly suited to the needs of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through a ‘one-stop-shop’ solution for photonics innovation, training and guided orienteering support. By strengthening the PhotonHub initiative with a broad range of services and capabilities in a cross-border setting, this H2020 action is focused on an integrated digital infrastructure for the industrial supply chain in Europe to develop and coordinate innovative, economically viable and replicable solutions.
With the goal of establishing a business model for the effective use of photonics, the EC-funded PhotonHub integrates the best-in-class photonics technologies, facilities, expertise, and experience of 53 top competence centres across Europe. Sant’Anna School is a partner in the consortium representing 18 European regions to further boost photonics innovation and matchmaking between SMEs and investors all over Europe. Antonella Bogoni, professor of Telecommunications at the Sant’Anna School TeCIP Institute for Communication, Information and Perception Technologies, will provide a complete support system to the scientific coordinator and the research activities being performed in the project PhotonHub to be launched on December 1, 2020, with 19 million euro funding for its impact on the wider ecosystem of local photonics hubs in Europe.
PhotonHub has the ambition to create over 1,000 new jobs over the next four years providing advanced photonics solutions to companies and a full-service photonics innovation incubator for European SMEs expecting nearly 1 billion euro in new revenues by 2025.
“Photonics is essential to accelerate innovation and digitalization in enhanced pan-European industrial supply chain of manufacturing. Photonics is critical to our ability to fundamentally address the enormous global societal and environmental challenges of our times”, said Hugo Thienpont, Director of Brussels Photonics (B-PHOT) at the Free University of Brussels and the general coordinator of PhotonHub Europe.
“Over the last twenty years, Sant’Anna School has promoted the importance of sustainable investments in photonics technology by creating a joint Tuscany Region platform for the integration of components, new laboratories and foundry covering the entire supply chain as well as building a collaborative research team with over 50 scientists from all over the world. Training and upskilling support to companies in optimizing their business models and attracting funding to transfer product innovation to market are all key accelerators. In facilitating SMEs in making confident informed decisions about new investments involving photonics, Tuscany platform can play a major role”, added Antonella Bogoni.
With the goal to come up with the next generation of chip design and optimization tools over the next four years, PhotonHub Europe will strengthen cooperation within the European network and provide the best photonics innovation for SMEs.
