News: Optoelectronics
8 May 2025
imec and TNO launch Holst Centre Photonics Lab
Nanoelectronics research centre imec of Leuven, Belgium and research institute TNO (the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research in Delft) have officially launched the Holst Centre Photonics Lab, sited at the High Tech Campus Eindhoven. The Holst Centre was established in 2005 by imec and TNO, gathering expertise in wireless sensor technologies and flexible electronics under one roof.
Partly funded by PhotonDelta, the Holst Centre Photonics Lab is dedicated to integrated photonics R&D in the Netherlands. By advancing photonics research and fostering collaboration between industry and academia, the lab aims to bridge the gap between innovation and industrialization for applications in sectors such as automotive, healthcare and data communications.
Accelerating photonics innovation
Building on the PhotonDelta National Growth Fund plan initiative, which has propelled integrated photonics R&D in the Netherlands for over 2.5 years, the lab establishes a foundation for research and aims to foster strategic collaboration between industry and academia.
By combining imec’s expertise in areas such as tape-out validation, on-chip laser development, system testing and application validation with TNO’s strengths in laser characterization, free-space optics, and photonic chip integration, the lab brings together complementary capabilities across the full innovation chain. By enabling close collaboration from early research to real-world applications, the partnership is set to raise photonics R&D in the Netherlands to a new level.
Strengthening the Dutch photonics ecosystem
Integrated photonics is at the core of a wide range of emerging applications, from LiDAR in autonomous vehicles (AVs) and non-invasive medical diagnostics to ultra-fast data communications and environmental sensing. The Holst Centre Photonics Lab offers the infrastructure needed to drive innovation in technologies such as connectivity and quantum, and in sectors including healthcare, agri-food, data communication and automotive.
“We’re taking an important step toward strengthening the Dutch integrated photonics ecosystem,” says Jesse Robbers, director imec at Holst Centre. “By combining our complementary expertise with TNO and working closely with PhotonDelta, we hope to create an environment where photonics innovations can move more effectively from lab to market,” he adds.
“Having a dedicated R&D centre like Holst Centre Photonics Lab, is a key proof point of integrated photonics emerging as a critical enabling technology,” comments PhotonDelta’s CEO Eelko Brinkhoff. “It provides the essential infrastructure to accelerate the development and deployment of photonic chip-based applications, a vital step from innovation to market-ready solutions.”
PhotonDelta, TNO, Eindhoven and Twente collaborating on Photonic Integration Technology Center
