Photonic Integrated Circuits Pilot Line
PIXEurope is the pilot line for advanced photonic integrated circuits (PICs), launched by the European Commission under the Chips for Europe Initiative. Photonic chips are a key component for high-speed computing, communications, sensing and quantum technologies. PIXEurope, coordinated at ICFO in Barcelona, brings together 20 partners from 11 European countries, including Spain, with a budget of about €400 million.
The pilot line covers the full prototyping value chain: design, fabrication, integration, testing and reliability. Its goal is to speed up product development and make PIC manufacturing scalable in Europe, as the first fully integrated PIC pilot line in the world.
Open Access
PIXEurope is an open-access pilot line. Companies of any size, research groups and start-ups reach all its services through a single Open Access gateway, without having to build their own infrastructure. This is especially useful for SMEs and start-ups. The services are:
- Prototyping and MPW: design support and fabrication of prototypes. Multi-Project Wafer (MPW) runs will be added as process design kits become available.
- Use of equipment and infrastructure: access to state-of-the-art fabrication and characterisation systems across the partners’ facilities.
- Collaborative R&D projects: joint development with PIXEurope partners on integration platforms, heterogeneous integration, metrology and packaging.
- Training: Hands-on and online courses across the PIC manufacturing chain. The programme starts in October 2026.
- Consultancy: expert advice on process design, technical risk, feasibility and scale-up.
Services are being opened in phases. The brochure below lists the Open Access services you can request today.
Don’t hesitate to contact PIXSpain at technologies@pixspain.es if you require guidance before applying to PIXEurope’s Open Access services.
