Pilot Photonics is a DCU spin-out company from 2011 that develops optical components for telecommunications and other applications including Internet of Things and autonomous vehicle based on an exclusive DCU licence to patented technology. In December 2018, a new collaborative research project between Pilot Photonics, DCU and Trinity College Dublin was one of 27 projects successfully awarded finance under the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF).
Speaking of this success and the support received from Invent, the TTO at DCU, Frank Smyth CEO of Pilot Photonics said: “We are very proud to have won a DTIF project with the help of DCU research and great support from Invent. The consortium of Pilot Photonics, DCU and TCD intends to deploy its technology to tackle the capacity crunch in the internet and to allow this critical infrastructure to grow impacting millions of lives every day.”
The objective of the project, which will run for three years until 2022, is to develop a new photonic integrated circuit that will allow optical channels to be bonded together to make maximum use of the available bandwidth. This technology will greatly increase bandwidth in core telecoms networks and as such will be transformative for the company. Building on Pilot Photonic’s existing product range and benefitting from the existing sales channels and customer base, this technology will position the company to target the global telecoms market.
The collaboration builds on an enduring relationship and signals the quality of research and expertise within the universities. Richard Stokes, Director of Innovation at DCU said “The consortium deserves huge credit for their success as the DTIF process was incredibly competitive. The project will enable Pilot to move to the next level and be a true market leader. The company has the opportunity to develop a world-leading photonic chip solution with many commercial applications.”
DCU is exploring further collaborative opportunities with the company.
Publish date: 2018
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