The new photonics lab aims to give an extra boost to research into and development of integrated photonics in the Netherlands.
ioplus.nl, May. 07, 2025 –
Earlier today, imec and TNO officially opened the Holst Centre Photonics Lab, a facility dedicated to the research and development of integrated photonics in the Netherlands. The lab aims to accelerate photonics innovation and stimulate collaboration between industry and academia, enabling faster development of new integrated photonics applications in sectors such as the automotive industry, healthcare, and data communications. The new lab is located on the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven and is partly funded by PhotonDelta.
TNO and imec already collaborate within the Holst Centre, also located at the High Tech Campus Eindhoven; the Photonics Lab builds on this collaboration.
Building on the PhotonDelta National Growth Fund plan, which has been the driving force behind integrated photonics R&D in the Netherlands for more than 2.5 years, the lab lays a solid foundation for groundbreaking research. It aims to stimulate strategic collaboration between industry and science. The lab covers the entire innovation chain by combining imec's expertise in tape-out validation, on-chip laser technology, system testing, and application validation with TNO's experience in laser characterization, free-space optics, and the integration of photonic chips. In this way, the collaboration, from fundamental research to the development of concrete applications, will take photonics R&D in the Netherlands to a higher level.
LiDAR, medical diagnostics, data communication, environmental monitoring
Integrated photonics is at the heart of many applications—from LiDAR systems in autonomous vehicles and noninvasive medical diagnostics to ultrafast data communication and environmental monitoring. The Holst Centre Photonics Lab provides the infrastructure to support application-driven innovation for technologies such as connectivity and quantum in health, agrifood, data communications, and automotive sectors.
Jesse Robbers, director of imec at Holst Centre: “With this lab, we are taking an important step towards strengthening the Dutch photonics ecosystem. By combining imec's expertise with that of TNO, further leveraging our complementarities, and working closely with PhotonDelta, we are creating an environment in which photonics innovations can be brought from the lab to the market more effectively.”
Ton van Mol, director of TNO at Holst Centre: “The Holst Centre Photonics Lab demonstrates how strategic funding and collaboration can accelerate photonics innovation and strengthen the Netherlands' position as a world leader in this field.”
Eelko Brinkhoff, CEO PhotonDelta: “A dedicated R&D lab such as the Holst Centre Photonics Lab is powerful evidence of the emerging importance of integrated photonics as a key technology. It provides the essential infrastructure to accelerate the development and application of photonic chip-based solutions – a crucial step from innovation to market-ready applications.”