The Cleanroom Mandate: Why Smart Photonics Anchors Europe’s Industrial Future
From lab to fab — and the return of manufacturing power
Much of the conversation around artificial intelligence focuses on models, algorithms and data. But none of it exists without a factory. While companies like Axelera and Innatera design new forms of intelligence, Smart Photonics operates at a different level entirely. It does not design the future — it manufactures it. In cleanrooms in Eindhoven, ideas are translated into physical systems, turning Europe’s technological ambition into something tangible. Because in the end, intelligence is not abstract. It is fabricated.
Smart Photonics specialises in photonic chips based on indium phosphide (InP) — a material that allows light to be generated, amplified and detected directly on a chip.
Unlike traditional semiconductors that rely on electrons, photonic chips use photons. The result is faster data transmission, lower energy consumption and entirely new possibilities in communication, sensing and computing.
For years, however, photonics remained largely confined to research environments. The challenge was never the idea. It was scale.
The Moment Photonics Becomes an Industry
That moment is now arriving.
On March 9, 2026, construction began in Eindhoven on Europe’s first industrial pilot line for 6-inch photonic wafers — a critical step in moving from laboratory prototypes to scalable production.
As Eelko Brinkhoff explains:
“The transition to 6-inch wafers is not just a technical upgrade; it is the moment photonics moves from a research project to an industry. We are finally building the scale the world demands.”
Eelko Brinkhoff
CEO, PhotonDelta
The significance of this shift cannot be overstated. Larger wafers mean more chips per cycle, lower costs and, crucially, the ability to serve global markets such as telecom, data centres and automotive systems. What was once artisanal becomes industrial. And with industrialisation comes power.
The Factory as a Geopolitical Asset
In the global semiconductor landscape, design is only part of the equation. Manufacturing is where control resides.
As Johan Feenstra makes clear:
“The factory is the only place where technological ambition becomes geopolitical reality. If you don’t own the cleanroom, you don’t own the future.”
Johan Feenstra
CEO, Smart Photonics
This is the lesson Europe learned the hard way with traditional semiconductors. While it excelled in research and design, large-scale production shifted elsewhere — to Asia and the United States.
Photonics offers a second chance. And Smart Photonics is one of the few places where that chance is being physically realised.
Exporting the Standard
The influence of Smart Photonics does not stop at Eindhoven.
In 2025, the company entered into a strategic partnership with India’s GX Group to develop photonics-based infrastructure for next-generation networks. This is not merely a commercial expansion. It is the export of a technological standard.
As Johan Feenstra notes:
“Our partnership with GX Group combines our global expertise in photonics with India’s ambition for technological sovereignty. Together, we are setting new benchmarks in optical innovation.”
Johan Feenstra
CEO, Smart Photonics
If countries begin building their digital infrastructure on photonic technologies originating in Eindhoven, Europe’s influence extends far beyond its borders.
Not through platforms. But through infrastructure.
The Paradox of the Foundry
Yet Smart Photonics operates under a structural paradox.
As a pure-play foundry, it does not produce end-user products. It manufactures chips designed by others — telecom companies, system integrators, technology firms.
This raises a fundamental question. Who captures the value? The company building the factory — or the companies building on top of it?
In many industries, the highest margins accrue to those closest to the customer. But in times of scarcity and geopolitical tension, control over production capacity can become the more decisive form of power.
Ownership of the factory may not guarantee dominance. But without it, dependence is inevitable.
Defensive Capital and Industrial Policy
Recognising this, Europe has begun to act.
Through initiatives such as the Dutch National Growth Fund and PhotonDelta, significant public investment has been directed toward scaling photonic manufacturing. This is not simply support for innovation. It is defensive capital.
A recognition that without domestic production capacity, Europe risks losing control over yet another critical technology.
As Eelko Brinkhoff warns:
“Photonic chips are essential for Europe’s sustainable, digital and competitive future. Without targeted investment, we risk losing our lead to global competitors.”
Eelko Brinkhoff
CEO, PhotonDelta
The shift is clear. Europe is no longer only funding ideas. It is funding factories.
From Ecosystem to Infrastructure
Within the broader Brainport ecosystem, Smart Photonics occupies a unique position.
- Axelera designs high-performance AI chips
- Innatera builds ultra-efficient sensing intelligence
Both depend — directly or indirectly — on manufacturing capabilities.
Smart Photonics represents the point where that dependency can be reduced. It is not the most visible player. But it may be the most foundational.
The Return of the Machine Room
For decades, Europe’s technological strength has been defined by research and engineering. Its weakness has been industrial scale. Smart Photonics signals a potential shift.
A return to the machine room — where technology is not only conceived, but produced. Where strategy is not only discussed, but implemented in silicon and light.
Because in the end, the future of Europe’s chip industry will not be decided solely in design labs or policy papers. It will be decided in cleanrooms.
And those who control them will shape not just the technology — but the terms under which it is used.
This article is part of the Brainport Rising series. From intelligent chips to invisible systems and now industrial production, the question becomes clearer: can Europe not only design the future — but build it?
Caption
Like rail networks move people, photonic infrastructure moves data — quietly, at scale, and largely unseen. In Eindhoven, the physical and digital backbone of Europe’s future are increasingly intertwined.
Credit
Photo by Evan Yang / Unsplash
