imec & Huawei research optical data link technology

4th December 2014

Siobhan O'Gorman

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A research partnership, focusing on optical data link technology, has been announced between imec and Huawei. Through their research into silicon-based optical interconnects, the companies are expected to provide high speed, low power consumption and cost savings.

Silicon photonics is expected to enable the creation of highly integrated, low power optical transceivers used for data transmission and telecommunications, revolutionising optical communications.

imec’s research programme, which Huawei has now joined, focuses on optimising bandwidth density, power consumption, thermal robustness and cost at the system level. With a view to achieving technological progress in this vital area, Huawei engineers will work closely with imec’s R&D team in Leuven, Belgium.

After acquiring Caliopa spin-off from imec and UGent in 2013, Huawei added silicon photonics research to its European R&D portfolio. The company has been investing in its human resources and infrastructure to meet the demands of this rapid growth.

Due to Huawei’s global position, the company can bring silicon photonics research results to the market, making a direct contribution to improving communications technology.

The research partnership follows Huawei’s Neul in the UK, the launch of an innovation centre in Walldorf, Germany, and the opening of an R&D site in Sophia Antipolis, France. By investing in local talent, Huawei aims to build a better-connected Europe.

“This is an important next step in our collaboration with Huawei on silicon photonics. This collaboration, together with Huawei’s recent acquisition of our spin-off Caliopa that focuses on developing silicon photonics-based optical transceivers for the telecommunications industry, shows that our silicon photonics research is important for advancing next-generation high-bandwidth ICT solutions,” commented Luc Van den hove, President and CEO, imec. “We expect this partnership to give a further boost to our silicon photonics research over the coming years.”

“Having acquired cutting-edge expertise in the field of silicon photonics thanks to our acquisition of Caliopa last year, this partnership with imec is the logical next move towards next-gen optical communication. By combining our strengths in this strategic area, we can deliver ICT innovation that translates into value for businesses and consumers in Europe and beyond,” said Hudson Liu, CEO, Huawei Belgium.