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Photonics R&D Investment

R&D value

  • Our R&D teams have market-leading skills in photonic technologies and system integration.
  • Our customers recognise this and we maintain collaborative relationships with OEM customers.
  • We work side by side with our customers to help design their next generation systems.
  • This close working relationship allows us to identify opportunities to support our customers in existing and adjacent markets.
  • We maintain technology roadmaps that pivot between our Enabling Technologies and markets.
  • Our roadmaps focus on high-growth areas where we see clear customer demand enabling us to optimise returns from our photonics R&D investment.

Highlights

  • In FY 2021, we spent £7.9m on R&D.
  • In the same year, revenue from new products grew to £18.1M with 48 new products released to the market.
  • Acousto-optics: New materials and devices for micro/macro-machining.
  • Electro-optics: New materials to access more wavelengths and applications, such as heat signature tracking, autonomous vehicles.
  • Fibre optics: Co-integration of photonics/electronics, miniaturising fibre optics for A&D, new devices for OCT.
  • Optical Systems: Multi-band and single aperture systems for turrets and vehicles, low SWAP and highler level assemblies
  • Precision optics: Continue expanding our capabilities with large windows, new materials and coatings.
  • Life sciences: Advanced user interface and app development, AI, machine learning, cyber security of patient data.

Roadmap

  • Components and modules for new generation extreme ultra-violet (EUV) lithography lasers used for nano electronics.
  • Market-leading acousto-optic modulators for lasers used in semiconductor manufacturing and metrology.
  • Fiber-optic sub-systems used in wind farms and infrastructure asset protection.
  • Infrared integrated optical systems for UAV imaging and communication systems.
  • New sighting systems for armoured vehicles with multi-band capabilities such as thermal overlay.
  • Laser-based satellite links and constellations
  • OCT technologies used in cancer and cardiovascular disease detection

If you have any questions regarding our photonics R&D investments, please don't hesitate to contact us.