IPSWICH, England, March 22 -- A photonics research facility is opening its doors to representatives from UK universities to demonstrate its ability to undertake collaborative research. The Centre for Integrated Photonics (CIP), based in Ipswich, said it is aiming to be the UK's leading facility for applications of integrated photonics, microtechnology and nanotechnology, and that it will provide devices for industrial partners and leading-edge research to the academic community. CIP was created after the East of England Development Agency purchased the Corning Research Centre (CRC) in 2003, after Corning Inc. announced it would close the CRC due to global restructuring. The CIP will hold open houses for university representatives at its facility on March 31 and April 2 to discuss current projects and potential collaborative research that CIP could undertake with universities. Richard Nicol, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will be the keynote speaker on March 31, and Pat McDonald, director of key business technologies at the Department of Trade and Industry, will address visitors on April 2. CIP chief executive Stephen Holton said, "The best known example of photonics is its use in fiber optic telecommunications. CIP has a world-leading photonics research background in optical communications, but already the state-of-the-art capabilities of CIP are being applied to diverse photonics applications such as advanced computing, biotech sensing, automotive and renewable solar energy." Earlier this year, the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council granted a contract to University College London in which CIP will research, develop and deliver a range of novel photonics devices to a consortium of four UK universities: University College London, Imperial College London, the University of Cambridge and the University of Essex. For more information, visit: www.ciphotonics.com