The Government is to put £4.7m towards photonics manufacturing research at the University of Southampton.
Delivered through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the centre will be one of three, the others being: for regenerative medicine Loughborough University, and metal recycling at Brunel University.
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"The EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Photonics will work with industry to develop the next generation of optical fibre materials and technology platforms, train a new generation of engineers and fuel growth in photonics-related manufacturing," said the EPSRC.
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The University of Southampton's Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC), where the manufacturing centre will be located, is renowned worldwide for developing novel optical fibres and fibre-based devices, and for creating its own local cluster of photonic spin-outs.
Describing the work of the EPSRC Centre, ORC director Professor David Payne told EW: "A company will come to us with a problem and we will take a solution to the point where it is exactly what the company wants, and we can point the company at a manufacturer that can make it to our formula."
Several project are already lined-up, according to Payne. The major ones are developing fibres for two of the University's own spin-outs: fibre maker Fibercore, and ultra-fast laser firm Fianium.
The funding will be over five years, starting in March, and is to be added to £4.6m expected from 13 industrial partners.
In all, the EPSRC is allocating £70m to manufacturing research centres, 14.5m of which has been shared out between the first three.
An EPSRC spokesman said the rest of the centres will be announced over the next two years.