[1/4] The logo of Smart Photonics is seen at their headquarters in Eindhoven, Netherlands, November 7, 2023. "Currently, the EU has a vibrant and growing integrated photonics industry, however, without volume manufacturing, testing and packaging capacity we are incredibly vulnerable to global events and the policies of competitor countries," Johan Veenstra, CEO of SMART Photonics, said at the summit. Currently most photonics chips, like most chips, are made in Asia, with important intellectual property in the U.S. The statement said low levels of European manufacturing and over-reliance on Asia in manufacturing and packaging, "threatens the EU's economic security and resilience". The statement was signed by Germany's XFAB and Aixtron, the Netherlands' SMART Photonics and Phix Photonics Assembly, VLC Photonics of Spain, France's Almae, and Switzerland's Ligentec, as well as PhotonDelta, a public-private partnership in the Netherlands devoted to funding photonics.

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Persons: de Wouw, Johan Veenstra, chipmaker, VDL, Germany's XFAB, France's Almae, Switzerland's, Toby Sterling, David Evans Organizations: Smart Photonics, REUTERS, Rights, European Union, EU, SMART Photonics, photonics, SMART, U.S, Phix Photonics Assembly, Photonics, Thomson Locations: Eindhoven, Netherlands, Asia, United States, Spain