• For each euro contributed by the Spanish Administration, the European Commission contributes the same amount, so more than 124 million euros are going to be invested in this program
• The four beneficiary entities are the Institute of Photonic Sciences; the Polytechnic University of Valencia; the National Center for Microelectronics and the University of Vigo
• Spain wants to strengthen the national photonics ecosystem, since this technology allows to develop chips faster and with lower energy consumption, thanks to the use of light (photons) instead of electrons

Vigo, 31 July 2025.- The Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Service, Óscar López, announced today in Vigo the award of 62.1 million euros of the Integrated Photonics Pilot Line, a call whose objective is to strengthen European technological sovereignty in the semiconductor sector. The programme will mobilise a total of 124.2 million euros because for each euro contributed by the Spanish Administration, the European Commission contributes the same amount.

“With this investment, Spain strengthens the ecosystem and value chain of photonics in the national territory, ranging from design and manufacturing to packaging and chip testing. The objective is not only to achieve technological self-sufficiency, we are developing industrial capacities and creating jobs,” said the minister.

During his visit to Vigo, Minister Óscar López, accompanied by the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures, Antonio Hernando, visited the Spanish photonics company Sparc, in which just a few weeks ago the Government made an investment of 17.2 million euros through the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation, SETT.

The minister recalled that this investment also contributes to strengthening the technological ecosystem of semiconductors in Spain, since the company will launch a plant in Vigo dedicated to the manufacture of photonic integrated circuits, which will create 200 direct jobs and 550 indirect jobs. In this way, Sparc will cover part of the production deficit of semiconductors in Europe, and will contribute to the European Chips Act’s goal of reaching a 20% quota by 2030.

Ecosystem of photonics

Unlike electronics, a sector already consolidated in the technology industry, photonics is still an emerging area, with enormous potential for development. It differs in that it uses light (photons) instead of electrons to process and transmit information, which translates into higher speeds and lower energy consumption.

The awarding agencies of the call for the Integrated Photonics Pilot Line and the total investment, taking into account the award of the Government and the contribution of the European Commission, are the following:

• Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO): 23,1M€ awarded, will receive 46,2 M€ in total
• Polytechnic University of Valencia: €16.5 million awarded, total investment of €33m
• National Center for Microelectronics (CNM): 15M€ awarded, total investment 30M€
• University of Vigo: 7.5 M€ awarded, 15M€ total investment

Each entity will address a specific phase of the technological process, from the development of design kits to the manufacture of hybrid chips, equipment acceptance or integration with radio frequency and 5G technologies, among other applications.

La Integrated Photonics Pilot Line it is a call that is framed in the Chips Joint Undertaking (JU Chips), a joint entity of the European Commission and the member states. The Line has a total budget of 380 million euros and an expected duration of five years. It has the participation of eight Member States, among which the role of Spain as coordinator stands out, with large specialized centers. Spain, in addition, absorbs approximately 33% of the total budget.