New Origin leads the charge in scaling photonic chip production

The Twente region is ranked among the global leaders in silicon nitride-based photonic chip technology. Over the past few decades, the University of Twente has spawned dozens of innovative companies with a worldwide customer base. The challenge lies in bridging the gap between research, prototyping and industrial-scale production.

“The University of Twente and the companies here have a thirty-year track record in photonic chips,” explains Twan Korthorst, CEO of New Origin. “But once you need thousands of wafers with chips, there is no facility anywhere in the world capable of handling that properly. That is precisely the gap our new factory will fill.” With an investment of approximately 100 million euros, an open-access factory will be built at the innovation campus Kennispark Twente. Unlike a single-company facility, this pure play foundry will enable multiple companies to produce chips under one roof.

A unique, public-access factory

For Tim Tiek, CEO of Brilliance, New Origin’s chips cannot come off the production line fast enough. His company’s chips power AR and VR glasses, head-up displays and medical devices, serving major names such as Meta, Google and Sony.

“We replace large, expensive optical laser systems with a single compact laser chip,” explains Tiek. “Currently, we supply hundreds of units, but demand will soon reach millions. Without New Origin, we might have had to move production to Asia. Thanks to this factory, we can continue to grow here in Twente, close to our partners and knowledge institutions. That proximity gives us a huge advantage.”

What sets New Origin apart is its open-access approach. Companies no longer need to invest millions in their own production lines – they can outsource manufacturing to facilities accessible to the entire sector. “Think of it as a shared laboratory, but for chip production,” explains Korthorst. “New Origin is an open-access pureplay foundry.”

Twente: Western Europe’s photonics hotspot

What makes Kennispark in Twente the ideal location for New Origin and Brilliance? For Korthorst and Tiek, the answer is simple: nowhere else combines knowledge, experience and collaboration in photonic chips like Kennispark, situated right next to the University of Twente.

“You have the University’s NanoLab cleanrooms, flexible lab spaces in The Gallery, and a vibrant ecosystem where chip companies literally meet at the coffee machine.” This unique collaborative environment surprises international visitors. “They assume we have a team of at least a hundred at Brilliance,” says Tiek. “But we’re just twenty. Still, we achieve great things because we make smart use of shared facilities and partners.”

He shares an example: “We recently faced an urgent issue with a series of chips. Our engineers met with partners that same afternoon, and by the end of the day, we had a solution. Elsewhere, this would have taken months. Speed and rapid time to market are critical in our industry.”

More than just a factory

Korthorst and Tiek’s message is clear: the world is ready for integrated photonics to go mainstream, with New Origin serving as a key accelerator. For Korthorst, the focus for now will be on securing the final investments. “Imagine a factory where companies can scale, and startups can test ideas,” he says. “That’s what drives me and what I’m working towards.” Tiek agrees, adding: “Once New Origin is up and running, it will have a huge pull. Companies wanting to work with this technology will have to be in Twente.”