FINISAR GERMANY GMBH

Their core work

Finisar Germany is the Berlin-based arm of Finisar Corporation (now part of Coherent/II-VI), a major manufacturer of optical communication components and subsystems. Within H2020, they contribute industrial expertise in optoelectronic components, photonic integrated circuits, and coherent optical transponders to large European research consortia. Their role spans from advancing next-generation optical networking hardware to exploring graphene-based photonics applications, bridging the gap between material science breakthroughs and commercially viable telecom products.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), Finisar focused on two parallel tracks: advancing optical telecom hardware (integrated transceivers via COSMICC, SDN transponders via QAMeleon) and exploring broad graphene applications across electronics, sensors, and energy (GrapheneCore2). From 2019 onward, their optical networking work continued through WON, but the graphene track narrowed and matured — moving from basic research toward flagship-scale development (GrapheneCore3) and pilot line manufacturing (2D-EPL). The clear trend is a convergence toward industrializing graphene and 2D materials for photonic and optoelectronic applications.

Finisar is moving from exploratory graphene research toward pilot-scale manufacturing of 2D material-based photonic components, making them increasingly relevant for partners seeking to industrialize lab-stage graphene technologies.

How they like to work

Finisar operates exclusively as a participant or third party — never as coordinator — which is typical for a large industrial company contributing specific hardware expertise to research-led consortia. With 246 unique partners across 21 countries and participation in flagship-scale projects (Graphene Flagship alone involves 150+ partners), they are comfortable in very large, multi-national consortia. Their value to consortia is as an industry anchor: they bring manufacturing know-how and commercial perspective that grounds research in market reality.

Finisar has collaborated with 246 unique partners across 21 countries, largely through massive flagship consortia. Their network spans most of Europe, with particular density in countries strong in photonics and materials science (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain).

What sets them apart

Finisar brings something rare to European consortia: they are a global-scale optical component manufacturer actively engaged in both advanced telecom R&D and graphene flagship development. This dual footprint means they can evaluate 2D material innovations through the lens of real optical networking product requirements. For consortium builders, they offer a credible pathway from lab-scale photonic material research to components that can actually ship in commercial telecom systems.

Highlights from their portfolio

• QAMeleon
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 633,000) and most technically specific project — targeting next-generation elastic optical networking with SDN-powered transponders and photonic integrated circuits.
• 2D-EPL
  Represents Finisar's most forward-looking commitment: a Graphene Flagship pilot line project focused on scaling 2D materials from research to industrial production.
• GrapheneCore2
  Entry point into the Graphene Flagship — one of the EU's largest research initiatives — covering broad applications from electronics to biomedical technologies.