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…
News & Insights
At the CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre, we lead the way in advancing silicon photonics technologies, fostering collaboration across the UK’s academic and industrial communities.
Through events, conferences, and public engagement initiatives, we aim to inspire dialogue, showcase advancements, and connect stakeholders to tackle global challenges, enhance lives, and boost productivity with transformative photonics innovations.
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…
PIC Bootcamp Wrap-Up: Training the Next Generation of UK Silicon Photonics Talent
As an open-access silicon photonics foundry and innovation hub, we are proud to play a part in building capability across the sector. The PIC Bootcamp reflects that mission in action, helping researchers, engineers, start-ups and industry professionals build the skills and confidence needed to develop the next generation of photonic technologies. Why PIC Bootcamp was…
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…
The route to scalable, error-free silicon photonics: Professor Frederic Gardes Authors Blog Post for Computer Weekly
For silicon photonics to scale across modern AI and data centre infrastructure, it must behave like a standard mass-produced chip. Light can move data faster than electrons, but making photonic systems ‘boring’ enough for reliable, high-volume deployment without constant recalibration remains the real challenge. In this guest blog for Computer Weekly, Frederic Gardes, co-investigator at…
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…
Our Team Made a Music Video (Yes Really!)
Some teams do Secret Santa… ours makes music videos! Meet Band Gap, CORNERSTONE’s mysterious musical collective, look closely and you might spot some familiar faces… We had a blast creating this video, and we hope you enjoy it as much as our team enjoyed making it. As we will soon be stepping into the festive…
The Duke of Edinburgh visits CORNERSTONE and the University of Southampton to see how silicon photonics is powering UK innovation
CORNERSTONE was honoured to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to the University of Southampton on Friday 3rd October 2025. The visit highlighted how ground-breaking, light-based technologies are powering the UK’s economic growth and strengthening its global leadership in silicon photonics. During the visit, The Duke explored the University’s cleanroom facilities, gaining first-hand…
UK Photonics in Focus: CORNERSTONE Leads Discussion on Growth and Innovation at Labour Party Conference
From 28 September to 1 October 2025, CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre (C-PIC), in partnership with the New Statesman, the UK’s leading progressive political and cultural publication, hosted a well-attended panel discussion at the Labour Party’s Annual Conference in Liverpool, exploring how photonics is shaping the UK’s innovation landscape and the opportunities it presents for national…