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Topic Foundries invests €200 Million to Create Photonics Hub in Belgium
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The investment aims to establish a leading production and service center for integrated photonics, creating hundreds of jobs.
Following the bankruptcy of Belgan last year, wich resulted in the loss of 440 jobs, the high-tech company topic Foundries is investing €200 million in the location. The investment will transform the site into what is planned to be the “first full-fledged production and service center for integrated photonics in Europe”.
topic Foundries BV, through its subsidiary Bellaser BV, intends to generate 500 new employment opportunities.
The facility will soon be the site of growth for a new generation of computer chips, known as photonic chips. these chips utilize light instead of electricity,offering faster processing speeds and reduced energy consumption. Photons,in essence,are light particles.
New Era for Chip Manufacturing
The former Belgan was once the last Belgian chip manufacturer. The company was unable to capitalize on its strategic advantages in a growing market because Chinese shareholders withdrew their support. The new operators will leverage the existing clean rooms, which span an area of 10,000 m².
The topic Foundries BV plans to create 500 new jobs through the company’s daughter Bellaser BV.
topic Foundries/Bellaser is set to benefit from funding via the “EU Chips Act,” as well as from collaborations with the photonics research group at the university of Gent (UGENT) and the IMEC research center in Löwen (Leuven/Flemish-Brabant).
The properties of photons are increasingly crucial for data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) applications, due to their significantly lower energy consumption compared to conventional microchips.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are photonic chips?
- Photonic chips use light (photons) instead of electricity (electrons) to transmit data, resulting in faster speeds and lower energy consumption.
- What is the EU chips Act?
- The “EU Chips Act” is a European initiative designed to strengthen the semiconductor industry within the European Union.
- Where is the new facility located?
- The new production and service center is located in Löwen (Leuven/Flemish-Brabant), Belgium.
- Who will benefit from this investment?
- The investment will benefit data centers, artificial intelligence (AI) developers, and the overall European technology sector.
- How many jobs will be created?
- topic Foundries BV plans to create 500 new jobs through its subsidiary, Bellaser BV.
