UGent, Imec unveil silicon photonics firm Caliopa

MANHASSET, USA: Reports say that the Photonics Research Group at Ghent University and the research consortium Imec have created and spun off Caliopa, which will develop and market advanced silicon photonics-based optical transceivers for the data and telecommunications markets. 

Sources say Caliopa will use Imec’s expertise in silicon processing. An amount of 2 million Euros has been raised as funding from a consortium of investors led by Baekeland, Fidimec and PMV-Vinnof, all of Belgium, said an EETimes report.

There are currently 7 team members in Caliopa, composed of technical experts from imec/UGhent and industry veterans with over 75 years cumulative management experience in the high tech industry, say sources at the company. This team is expected to be double its current size within the next 12 months.

Market research firm LightCounting LLC says that global sales of optical transceivers will reach $2.4 billion in 2010, with the market posting a 13 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2011 and 2014.