On 22–23 July, we were delighted to welcome two A-level students to Cornerstone as part of the LifeLab Work Experience Programme at the University of Southampton. This placement provided a unique opportunity to experience the cutting-edge research, engineering, and innovation behind silicon photonics technologies. Throughout the two-day placement, they explored how photonic chips are…
Author: Yadhu Menon
Why silicon photonics will help power the UK’s AI hardware future
Why the AI Hardware Plan matters The Plan recognises that sovereign capability in chips and semiconductor technologies is strategically important. As AI systems demand more, countries that can scale enabling hardware will be better placed to secure resilience and long-term competitiveness. That is especially true in the UK, where there is already capability across the photonics stack.…
From R&D to Commercialisation: How CORNERSTONE Supports Silicon Photonics Startups
Earlier this month, the CORNERSTONE team joined Future Worlds for their Demo Day 2026 to celebrate some of the most exciting research-led startups emerging from the University of Southampton and wider ecosystem. Among the founders pitching in London were Theo Rangarajan of Luminetic and Farah Comis of Altro Photonics. These two early-stage companies, which…
The silicon photonics crossroads: CORNERSTONE market research uncovers major scale-up challenges as global momentum builds
Southampton, UK, 17 June 2026 – Challenges with prototyping and access to scale-up infrastructure risk stalling the growth of the silicon photonics (SiPh) sector in key global markets if not urgently addressed, new market research published by the CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre, today reveals. The market research, conducted via OnePoll and featuring insights from 500…
UK silicon photonics sector poised for landmark growth if hurdles can be overcome, new study from CORNERSTONE reveals
SOUTHAMPTON, UK, 14th May 2026 – The UK’s Silicon Photonics (SiPh) sector is entering a critical inflection point, with strong industry intent and growing market demand creating a significant opportunity for the country to build key sovereign capabilities in a burgeoning tech sector, new market research from the CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre reveals. SiPh, which integrates light-based components onto silicon chips, is fast becoming one of the…
Silicon photonics is a UK growth opportunity that cannot wait
The Council for Science and Technology’s recent letter to the Prime Minister has set out a clear case for photonics as a strategic UK priority, calling for a national roadmap, stronger support for domestic capability, and more coordinated investment across the sector. That importance is already reflected in the numbers. The UK photonics industry is…
How silicon photonics could power next-generation AI systems: TechRadar Pro Interviews Professor Graham Reed
AI’s energy problem isn’t about raw compute – it’s about moving data. Getting information between processors, memory, and data centres fast enough, and without burning through enormous amounts of power, is where today’s systems are starting to crack. Silicon photonics uses light rather than electricity to carry that data, and it’s attracting serious investment…
Exploring Silicon Photonics for Future Networks: Insights from BT and the CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre
A foundation of the UK’s communications infrastructure, BT Group plays a pivotal role in both maintaining and advancing the nation’s connectivity. In an era of accelerating technological change, BT is continuously modernising legacy networks for homes and businesses while exploring cutting-edge solutions like quantum-safe communications, integrated photonics, and secure network design. A core enabler of this strategic evolution is silicon photonic…
Scaling Quantum Systems with Silicon Photonics: How C-PIC Supports the Next Generation of Quantum Technologies
Quantum technologies promise fundamentally new approaches to computational problems that are intractable for classical systems, from the high-fidelity simulation of complex molecular dynamics and materials for drug discovery and energy, to optimisation problems in logistics and finance. Governments and corporations worldwide are investing heavily in this field, recognising its potential as both a strategic and economic differentiator. The UK is no exception, with significant funding and industrial…
Bay Photonics
Bay Photonics – Specialists in Advanced Photonic Assembly and Packaging, Engineered for Precision. Bringing a photonic device to market is a complex journey, design precision, thermal stability, optical alignment, and reliability all engineered and realised into a high performance packaged assembly. At Bay Photonics, we cover the full lifecycle of photonic packaging, from concept and…