Over the past two decades, on more than one occasion the time seemed right for integrated-photonics technology to move beyond niche applications. Now finally, everything is lined up for that to happen, says Lionix International CEO Arne Leinse. It will require one more bold investment push, however.
What will Lionix International look like in ten years? Doubled in size to 100 employees or so, says Arne Leinse, CEO of the Enschede-based integrated-photonics pioneer celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. That might not sound very ambitious, especially coming from a man who three years ago predicted that the Dutch integrated-photonics industry will be generating billions of euros in revenue by 2025. Shouldn’t Lionix be getting a tasty piece of that huge pie?
Yes and no, Leinse explains. “Lionix is a mixture of an engineering house and a foundry – a vertically integrated foundry, as we like to call it. We develop customized solutions for our customers, going from design all the way up to fully assembled modules. We have facilities to manufacture and assemble chips in low and medium volumes, but we don’t do high volume ourselves. We do however supply the modules in high volumes to our customers by partnering with high-volume foundries. There’s room for Lionix to grow, but it’s companies that take photonics solutions to the market that have the potential for massive growth.”
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