New government initiative aims to boost photonics manufacturing in US

Last week President Obama announced a competition for a $200 million government-industry-academic manufacturing institute aimed at developing an end-to-end photonics “ecosystem” in the US. The new photonics institute will include foundry access, integrated design tools, workforce development, and automated packaging, assembly, and testing.

The institute will receive up to $110 million in federal funding over five years, to be matched at least one for one with private-sector contributions. It will be the largest of six manufacturing innovation institutes that have been announced by the White House. All are designed to bridge the gap that lies between applied research and product development, by bringing companies, universities, other academic and training institutions, and federal agencies together to reinvigorate US manufacturing in key technology areas.

Among its other applications, integrated photonics are expected to bring the cost of sequencing individual human genomes down to less than $1000, compared with $5000 today, according to a White House fact sheet. For defense, the potential applications of integrated photonics range from improving battlefield imaging to advances in radar.

The National Photonics Initiative , an alliance of five scientific societies that include the American Physical Society and the Optical Society, welcomed the announcement. Tom Baer, NPI steering committee chair, called the move “the highest possible endorsement and acknowledgment of the critical role that the US photonics industry will play in solving many of the present day challenges, creating US jobs, boosting the economy, and enhancing national security.”

A request for proposals to host the institute is to be released in early November. In a notice of intent, the Air Force Research Laboratory, which is administering the procurement, said the new entity will be structured to enable government, industry, and academia to collaborate on and organize the now fragmented US capabilities in integrated photonics technology. The institute will need to be able to address both Department of Defense and commercial applications, the 3 October notice said. It is expected to become self-sustaining within five years, the notice said. The work at the institute will be at DOD technology readiness levels three through eight—proof of concept through demonstration and qualification.

The four manufacturing innovation institutes previously awarded are in additive manufacturing, lightweight and modern metals, digital manufacturing and design, and power electronics. DOD administers all but power electronics, which is overseen by the Department of Energy. An advanced composites institute, to be led by DOE, is now in the acquisition stage.