Eindhoven Builds Europe’s Photonic Future
Inside the Pilot Line Construction at High Tech Campus
Construction has begun at High Tech Campus Eindhoven (HTCE) on a new facility set to play a key role in Europe’s next wave of semiconductor innovation. The development—a photonic chip pilot line led by TNO—aims to close the long-standing gap between laboratory research and scalable industrial production. Once operational, the facility will enable the manufacture of advanced Indium Phosphide (InP) photonic chips in a controlled, semi-industrial setting, reinforcing the Netherlands’ position at the forefront of photonics.
The project was first unveiled in mid-2025, when TNO (the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research) announced plans for a €153 million pilot manufacturing line under the European PIXEurope initiative, part of the EU Chips Act. Photonic chips, which transmit data using light rather than electrons, are widely regarded as critical to future advances in artificial intelligence, high-speed communications, sensing technologies, and quantum computing. By targeting 6-inch wafer production, the pilot line addresses a core European challenge: translating photonics breakthroughs from research environments into manufacturable, reliable products.
Later in 2025, High Tech Campus Eindhoven confirmed its commitment to invest in and deliver the building and cleanroom infrastructure required to house the pilot line. Already home to a dense cluster of technology companies and research institutes, the campus pledged to develop a facility capable of meeting semiconductor-grade manufacturing standards. Site preparation began toward the end of 2025, with full construction getting underway in early 2026.
The facility will feature a high-specification cleanroom with capacity to process up to 10,000 wafers annually, alongside dedicated areas for process development, testing, and validation. Operations are expected to begin around 2027, with the pilot line made available to startups, scale-ups, and established companies seeking to industrialise photonic integrated circuits.
Construction of the pilot plant has been awarded to Royal BAM Group, one of the Netherlands’ leading construction and engineering firms, known for delivering complex, high-tech facilities such as semiconductor fabs and advanced laboratories. BAM’s remit extends beyond the building shell to the delivery of the highly controlled cleanroom environment essential for photonic chip production.
Through its specialist subsidiaries, BAM is supplying critical technical systems integral to semiconductor operations. Interflow is responsible for cleanroom realisation, managing airflow, contamination control, vibration, and temperature stability. BAM Industrie is delivering high-purity process infrastructure, including ultra-clean gas and liquid distribution systems. Together, these capabilities allow BAM to deliver a fully integrated pilot manufacturing environment rather than a standalone building.
Design and engineering of the facility are being led by a consortium of specialist firms. Broekbakema acts as lead architect, developing a flexible, future-ready design that supports phased expansion while integrating seamlessly with the HTCE campus. Deerns leads the mechanical, electrical, and process-support engineering, ensuring the facility meets the stringent reliability and performance requirements of photonics manufacturing. Structural engineering is provided by Adviesbureau Tielemans, Equans delivers multi-technical installations, and vb&t Projectmanagement oversees coordination, cost management, and project delivery.
Beyond its physical footprint, the pilot line represents a strategic investment in Europe’s technological resilience. By enabling photonic chip production at scale, the Eindhoven facility is expected to accelerate innovation across data centres, telecommunications, healthcare, and defence, while strengthening the Netherlands’ role within Europe’s wider semiconductor ecosystem.
As construction advances, the photonic pilot line at High Tech Campus Eindhoven stands as a clear example of how aligned policy, targeted investment, and specialised construction expertise can turn strategic ambition into industrial capability. When it becomes operational later this decade, the facility will mark an important step in transforming Europe’s photonics research leadership into globally competitive manufacturing strength.
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