News: Optoelectronics
22 October 2025
CORNERSTONE and University of Southampton visited by Duke of Edinburgh
Highlighting how light-based technology is helping to power the UK’s economic growth, on 3 October CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre (C-PIC) — the UK’s dedicated Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) for silicon photonics (affiliated with the University of Southampton and the University of Glasgow, as well as the UK government’s Science and Technology Facilities Council) — was visited by Prince Edward, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, who met academics developing silicon photonics and saw how this technology is being used in data centers, as well as its emerging applications in healthcare, AI and quantum technology.
The Duke of Edinburgh also met college students from Ringwood School in Hampshire to hear about ongoing work to inspire young people to explore careers in science, as well as young entrepreneurs who have established start-ups with support from the University of Southampton.
Picture: His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh (left) and professor Mark E. Smith CBE, president & vice-chancellor of the University of Southampton (right).
As the UK’s focal point for silicon photonics innovation, C-PIC provides services to academics, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and industry partners to aid the development of new photonics technologies for use in telecoms, defence, healthcare, advanced manufacturing and clean energy.
“By uniting leading entrepreneurs and researchers we’re delivering a step-change in the silicon photonics industry that will foster growth, create skilled jobs and position the UK as a hub of global innovation,” said CORNERSTONE’s director professor Graham Reed.
“Our university is building skills for the future and inspiring the next generation of students and researchers to explore the opportunities offered by silicon photonics,” said professor Mark E. Smith, vice-chancellor & president of the University of Southampton. “This work creates a pipeline of talent and enterprise aligned with the Government’s skills agenda and industrial strategy.”
The visit followed C-PIC’s panel discussion at the Labour Party Annual Conference earlier in the week, underlining the growing recognition of photonics as a driver of innovation, economic growth and national resilience.
The CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre builds upon the existing CORNERSTONE Foundry, aiming to enhance the openness and availability of silicon photonics. It is intended to foster a commercialization pipeline that nurtures silicon photonics-enabled technologies and companies with the potential to enrich everyday life.
Serving as the UK’s primary technology centre for silicon photonics, the CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre is dedicated to transforming research into scalable, industry-ready solutions for a range of applications. Its ecosystem of services includes flexible fabrication, design consultancy, standard component libraries, start-up support, networking events, and a dedicated online knowledge hub planned for 2025.
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