October 1, 2025 /SemiMedia/ — STMicroelectronics said it is leading the EU-funded STARLight consortium, a program designed to establish Europe’s leadership in 300mm silicon photonics. The initiative brings together 24 companies and research institutions from 11 countries to create a unified platform for large-scale silicon photonics manufacturing.

The STARLight project focuses on developing high-bandwidth, energy-efficient photonic integrated circuits with integrated lasers and modulators, targeting next-generation datacenters, AI clusters, telecommunications and automotive systems. By combining CMOS silicon processes with photonic transmission, the technology aims to address scaling and power challenges in data-heavy applications.

Planned to run until 2028, STARLight will build a complete value chain for silicon photonics, from advanced wafer production to application-ready modules. The consortium expects the first innovations to benefit high-performance computing, optical interconnects, automotive sensing and emerging markets such as LIDAR and space applications.

The program was selected under the EU CHIPS Joint Undertaking and is positioned as a strategic step for Europe to secure a stronger role in global semiconductor innovation.