$100M Photonics Institute Launched in Singapore

A new photonics research institute aims to be a focal point for development of the next generation of optoelectronics.

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the Optoelectronics Research Center (ORC) at the University of Southampton in England have partnered to establish the Photonics Institute at NTU, a $100-million facility that will focus on photonics research.

The institute will serve as a new model that spans universities in Singapore and the U.K., said NTU professor Dr. Nikolay Zheludev, adding that it is aimed at “developing disruptive ideas in next-generation photonics.”

The institute is made up of five research centers: Center for Optical Fiber Technology, Center for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, Luminous Center of Excellence for Semiconductor Lighting and Displays, Center for Optical and Laser Engineering and the Optimus Photonic Center of Excellence. A new fiber optic research and manufacturing facility will also be housed there.

“We have already seen examples of how photonic technologies, such as optical fiber networks and lasers, have changed our society through the Internet,” said professor Dr. Bertil Andersson, president of NTU. “Together with Southampton, our new institute aims to be become a focal point for photonics research in Singapore and to drive innovations on a global scale.”

The Photonics Institute at NTU is funded by agencies including A*STAR, DSO National Laboratories, the Economic Development Board of Singapore, the Ministry of Education, the National Research Foundation and the Prime Minister’s Office of Singapore.

For more information, visit www.ntu.edu.sg.