Cornerstone, the UK’s open-access prototyping foundry for silicon photonics (SiPh), officially launched its new Photonics Innovation Centre (C-PIC) on 12th February at a prestigious event hosted at the House of Lords.

The launch brought together leading figures from industry, academia, and government, with keynote speeches from Dr Dave Smith, the UK’s National Technology Adviser, and Professor Graham Reed, Director of the Optoelectronics Research Centre at the University of Southampton, where Cornerstone is based.

The event was attended by over 130 distinguished guests, including representatives from key government bodies such as the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and Innovate UK. Members of Parliament, industry leaders from the semiconductor and quantum sectors, international SiPh experts, supporting partners, and media were also present, reflecting widespread interest in advancing SiPh commercialisation.

Silicon photonics has broad applications across critical UK and global industries, including telecommunications, AI hardware, quantum computing, environmental sensing, defence, and health technology. With the global market for SiPh projected to reach $14.5 billion by 2030, its potential to enable ultra-high bandwidth communications with exceptional power efficiency positions it as a key technology for the future. Leveraging established CMOS manufacturing processes, SiPh offers both economic scalability and high-volume production capability.

The launch event underlined C-PIC’s commitment to fostering collaboration between industry and academia, driving the UK’s leadership in SiPh innovation. Speaking at the event, Professor Graham Reed said,

“The occasion presented an opportunity to celebrate this significant milestone in furthering the UK’s position as a global leader in silicon photonics innovation. It was wonderful to see so many partners from across academia, business, and industry come together to celebrate the acceleration of cutting-edge research into transformative commercial technologies.”

Dr Dave Smith emphasised the national significance of C-PIC and the importance of supporting SiPh advancements:

“C-PIC can play an important part in turning the UK’s world-leading silicon photonics research into commercial success, with the chance to create high-skilled jobs and boost the semiconductor sector with government support. As demand for computing power surges, silicon photonics offers a faster, more energy-efficient solution that will drive sustainable growth and transform industries from AI to quantum computing.”

The Lord Sewell of Sanderstead CBE also addressed the audience, highlighting the importance of prioritising STEM innovation in the UK:

“The UK was the pioneer of the Industrial Revolution, yet today, it sometimes feels as though we are lagging behind. However, photonics is set to play a pivotal role in the future of technology, and C-PIC represents a major step forward for the UK.”

C-PIC aims to continue driving collaboration and innovation, helping to position the UK at the forefront of global photonics technology development.

Lord Tony Sewell CBE (L) with Professor Graham Reed (R )