Galicia Lights Up Europe’s Photonic Future
In recent years, Galicia has taken decisive steps to position itself on the European photonics map, one of the key technologies driving the continent’s digital and industrial transformation. The European Commission recognizes photonics as a strategic enabler for sectors such as telecommunications, automotive, defense, healthcare, and Industry 4.0, and promotes its development through programs like the Chips Act, aimed at strengthening Europe’s semiconductor production capacity and reducing dependence on external markets.
Within this context, Vigo is emerging as a leading hub. The upcoming installation of SPARC Foundry, the first photonic semiconductor production center in Southern Europe, will mark a turning point. By 2027, it will be capable of producing up to 20,000 wafers per year using III-V materials for sectors such as telecommunications, automotive, and defense. The project, led by the University of Vigo and its atlanTTic research center in collaboration with partners such as Indra and the Zona Franca de Vigo, is supported by the Perte Chip program and a public–private investment that places it among Europe’s most ambitious integrated photonics manufacturing initiatives.
Photonics as a Strategic Driver
Photonics technology enables the generation, manipulation, and detection of light to transmit, sense, process, and store information faster, more efficiently, and more precisely than traditional electronics. Its applications range from ultra-fast telecommunications networks to advanced sensing for medicine, defense, and automotive, as well as photonic chips capable of executing artificial intelligence algorithms with far lower energy consumption than current electronic approaches.
Gradiant, a Beacon of Galicia’s Photonic Momentum
In this landscape, Gradiant acts as a key player connecting research, industry, and technological awareness around photonics. From its specialized laboratory in Vigo, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the center covers the entire development cycle of photonic systems, from theoretical design and modeling to fabrication, prototyping, and experimental validation.
Its role is structured across three complementary areas:
Applied Research and Technology Transfer
In close collaboration with the University of Vigo and SPARC Foundry, Gradiant is engaged in R&D initiatives exploring:
- Photonic integrated circuits for neural networks: Development of photonic chips capable of running AI models faster and with lower energy consumption. These are based on group III/V semiconductor architectures that integrate lasers and detectors on a single chip to maximize compactness, efficiency, and performance. Work is currently underway on a photonic neuron prototype to validate algorithms and designs before scaling up.
- Ultra-fast optical processing: Design of prototypes capable of parallel data processing and advanced operations such as filtering, classification, and signal selection — aimed at validating architectures that integrate these functions directly in the photonic domain. This approach reduces latency, computational load, and energy consumption compared to conventional electronics, enabling real-time edge applications in telecommunications, autonomous systems, and large-scale data analytics.
Multi-sector Applications
Gradiant develops photonic solutions with direct impact in strategic industries:
- Next-generation communications: Solutions that enhance the speed and efficiency of mobile networks, enabling devices to transmit and receive information simultaneously on the same frequency without interference. Gradiant also develops intelligent monitoring systems capable of detecting unauthorized uses of the radio spectrum or invisible threats to critical infrastructures.
- Advanced computing and energy efficiency: Technologies that execute AI inference through parallel photonic processing for large-scale data análisis, even at the edge. These solutions dramatically reduce energy consumption and improve power conversion and utilization, paving the way toward more sustainable, high-performance infrastructures.
- Ultra-compact advanced sensors: Miniaturized, high-sensitivity optical sensors and integrated sensing-communication systems. These devices combine advanced sensing functions in portable platforms, offering greater precision, immunity to interference, and drastically reduced energy consumption, unlocking disruptive opportunities in critical environments such as defense, aerospace, and healthcare.
These developments not only enable more sustainable and scalable solutions but also have the potential to significantly reduce the energy footprint of artificial intelligence and other high-computation processes.
Ecosystem and Talent
Gradiant’s active involvement in SPARC Foundry and the Polo de Conocimiento de Vigo strengthens technology transfer to industry, fosters the creation of qualified employment, and attracts international research talent.
Challenges and Vision for the Future
Although photonics is advancing rapidly, its widespread adoption still faces challenges such as miniaturization, material compatibility, and cost reduction, necessary to achieve production scales comparable to traditional electronics. Along this path, Gradiant remains firmly committed to continuous innovation, breaking down barriers to accelerate the arrival of photonic solutions to the market.
Its strength lies in combining advanced research with agile and effective technology transfer, transforming knowledge into tangible industrial impact. Thanks to this approach, Gradiant has become one of Spain’s leading technology centers in photonics. Its participation in European initiatives, close collaboration with universities and industry, and focus on real-world application make it a driver of innovation with measurable effects on the Galician economy.
Gradiant is not only at the forefront of photonic development, it is also helping to position Galicia as a strategic player on Europe’s innovation map, connecting research, technology transfer, industry, and society so that light can truly power the region’s technological future.
Author: Marta Castro López, Head of Micro-Nanoelectronics and Photonics, Advanced Communications Area at Gradiant.
