Photonic talent for the chips of tomorrow

Brigitte Tel is already present at the Quantum Learning Centre Twente. Our meeting takes place at this aptly chosen venue, which is seen as a best practice within the PhotonDelta programme. The project table is occupied by a group of students. A double booking. Brigitte is deeply engaged in conversation with the students. Have they settled in here yet? What project are they working on? Naturally, we make way for the future talent and continue our conversation in the warm, welcoming canteen of Connect‑U.

We’ve spoken before about QuantumDelta. How does that programme relate to PhotonDelta? “In principle, you should first see them as separate entities,” says Brigitte. “These are two very large growth fund programmes, focussed on key technologies that are important for the Netherlands—technologies that ultimately come together. In terms of content, there is certainly some overlap, particularly on the ‘semicon side’. There is also overlap when it comes to building a photonic quantum computer; many applications in integrated photonics ultimately feed into quantum technology.”

Semicon Valley

When we talk about integrated photonics, we are referring – to put it simply – to the application of photonics on a chip; we’ll discuss the benefits of this in more detail later. By “the semicon side,” Brigitte is referring to the semiconductor industry, which is increasingly gaining a foothold in the Eastern Netherlands. She tells us about the ChipTech Twente initiative, a collaboration launched in 2022 by regional companies to strengthen the entire supply chain around the design and production of high-quality chips. “The UT’s Nanolab was already bursting at the seams back then. This is partly why plans were made for a new foundry. Those plans have since materialised as New Origin.”

On New Origin’s website, plans are announced for soon‑to‑be‑built production facilities for cutting‑edge silicon nitride photonic chips. Which brings us back to today’s main topic: the PhotonDelta programme. Brigitte: “PhotonDelta focuses on integrated photonics and its applications. In Twente, this has included a significant investment in New Origin, the site where the chips will be manufactured, alongside some forty other companies in the region.”

Talent recruitment

Alongside its investment in New Origin as a dedicated production facility, the PhotonDelta programme primarily aims to make funds available to attract additional talent. Within this framework, the University of Twente (UT) participates in a nationally organised master’s programme in Phototonics. There is also considerable demand for talented graduates from both higher professional education (HBO) and senior secondary vocational education (MBO). “Saxion and ROC van Twente were approached for this reason. And because we already had a quantum initiative in place with partners including HvA, Fontys, HHS and LiS: the Quantum Learning Centre. They found our approach very appealing and asked us to get involved. We then submitted a proposal to PhotonDelta with a view to expanding into integrated photonics.”

An expansion, does that mean there is already a ‘Photonics Learning Centre’? When we later spoke with Cas Damen, Professor of Applied Nanotechnology, he confirmed that an assembly lab for photonics is indeed being set up at the High Tech Factory in Enschede. Cleanroom training courses are already being held at the site for Saxion’s master’s programme in Applied Nanotechnology. In addition, plans are currently being drawn up to bring the quantum and photonics labs, along with activities related to Project Beethoven, under one roof. Cas: “This means that there will be a place where all deep tech talent can come together.”

Meeting place

Let’s look back for a moment to when we spoke to Brigitte about QuantumDelta in 2023. At the time, the Quantum Learning Centre Twente – which is now set to serve as a blueprint for the expansion of a photonics-focused branch – did not yet exist. Brigitte: “We had to figure out exactly what a Learning Centre actually is. This resulted in a mission‑and‑vision framework with three pillars that form the basis for activities. It has now become a genuine hub for education, research and professional practice. At PhotonDelta, we are working towards what we hope will become the ‘Twente Learning Centre for Photonics, Quantum and Chip Technology’. It would be great if we could build broad support for this.”

What, specifically, will be the role of Saxion and ROC van Twente? “In higher professional education, we’re taking technology development forward through the Learning Centre; production-related issues eventually end up here. Work has already begun on long‑term, integrated projects that bring together students from across Saxion, ROC van Twente and the University of Twente. While working within the same project, students address challenges specific to their respective fields in integrated photonics, for example, there are intriguing challenges at the intersection of physics and electronics. At the MBO level, the focus may lie on cleanroom activities. And at the University of Twente, it could mean setting up a new research group focused on heterogeneous integrated photonics.”

Training

How should we actually envision the concrete expansion of the Learning Centre (LC) for photonics? What does the student need? Brigitte explains that Saxion has, first and foremost, been allocated funding to purchase equipment and set up a new teaching facility for photonics, known as an Educational Lab. The next step – as was the case previously with the Quantum LC – will be to launch several lines of research in collaboration with industry and research partners. Essentially, these ‘lines’ will focus on integrated photonics.

Brigitte also sees professionals in the field who have already been trained through ongoing talent programmes. One example she gives is a student who completed a project at the Saxion Quantum Photonic Lab and is now employed by QuiX Quantum. Other examples in this context are two companies founded out of the research group led by UT professor David Marpaung: Sabratha and Temporal. Through these industry partners, questions related to technology development are channelled to Saxion, while more hands-on production challenges are picked up by MBO education. Students are given the opportunity to work on real-world problems relevant to their own study programme.

Optical clock

Brigitte suggests we pay a visit to Professor David Marpaung’s lab, which is also a hub for technical talent. We are welcomed onto the UT campus where we turn our attention to an optical clock setup. The setup is part of a PhotonDelta project bringing together students from Saxion and the University of Twente. David: “The university focuses on scientific innovation, whereas Saxion’s approach is more tangible and practical. Not all projects share common ground, but we are fortunate that the miniaturisation of optical clocks does— largely because it involves many aspects of scientific work, from modelling to experiments, and so on. But it is equally about packaging—about turning science into systems that are smaller, more practical and more robust.”

Can a project like this be translated into tangible benefits for society? “Oh, certainly,” replies David. “Timing is everywhere.” He explains how research into the optical clock setup, for example, can be important for accurate geolocation, financial trading or the synchronisation of telecommunications signals.

Our mission

How will the expansion of the Learning Centre within PhotonDelta build on existing initiatives? Back at Saxion, Brigitte tells: “What we aim to add is that the new LC will focus even more on innovative technologies, firmly linked to regional and national strategy. In applied research, the process often begins by approaching a company with the expertise you already have in hand. That is a supply-driven approach. But increasingly, businesses, researchers and the education sector are joining forces to explore new ground—an approach that is far more demand‑driven. Together, you reinvent the wheel—creating something that is entirely new.”

Brigitte emphasises that the same was true in the field of quantum technology: initially, Saxion had only a little ‘quantum knowledge’, but that body of knowledge has grown considerably in the meantime. Several collaborations with the business community have since been established and Saxion students can now enrol on the master’s programme in Applied Quantum Technology. “We want to do the same sort of thing for integrated photonics as well. We have a substantial amount of expertise in this area – for example, in photonic packaging – but our ambition is to become the leading centre in this field.”

Driving force

As the discussion turns to knowledge and talent, the question arises: why is there such a strong demand for integrated photonics? Brigitte explains that applying photonics to a chip offers many advantages. Chips developed in this way are, for example, much more energy-efficient and stable. This aligns naturally with the Eastern Netherlands, a region with a strong manufacturing sector and a university that has been conducting research in the field of photonics for many years.

Step by step, regional ambitions are gaining momentum. Will PhotonDelta in Twente play a similar role to Project Beethoven for ASML? Brigitte laughs: “That would be wonderful. In that sense, you could compare the ChipTech cluster of companies – which was the driving force behind the creation of New Origin – to ASML. You could also see ChipTech Twente as the driving force behind all the talent programmes we have here.”

Appealing technology

What drives Brigitte personally, particularly when it comes to the issue of talent, is her belief that greater attention should be paid to the importance of well-qualified graduates from higher professional education (HBO) and senior secondary vocational education (MBO). She remains committed to ‘empowering and effectively positioning’ the technical professionals of tomorrow. Brigitte also believes it is important for education to adopt a more demand-driven approach, rather than being primarily supply-driven; she points, for example, to more collaborative forms of education—approaches that look beyond the walls of individual schools and focus on external partnerships.

Finally, how will the region benefit from the further development of the Learning Centre? “Above all, through innovative technologies that are simply exciting and appealing—helping to attract more students to technical fields. Strengthening Saxion and MBO education helps translate academic knowledge into market applications at a faster pace. This approach strengthens the role of HBO and MBO as centres of expertise for real‑world, practice‑oriented questions. Knowledge doesn’t end up sitting on the shelf. In addition, more people will come to see how HBO‑ and MBO‑trained professionals can play a crucial role in innovative technologies.”

Translation original article: Diane Huibers
Photography: Thomas Buschers

Main photograph, from left to right: Sam Bruil (Saxion intern, Sep'25-Jan'26), Brigitte Tel, Saxion researcher Dmytro Polishchuk, Akhileshwar Mishra (researcher at the UT, CTO of Temporal), Enes Gurbuz (Saxion intern, Feb'26-Jul'26), David Marpaung (full professor at the UT, head of the Nonlinear Nanophonics research group), Redlef Braamhaar (research technician at the UT).