VI SYSTEMS GMBH

Their core work

VI Systems GmbH is a Berlin-based photonics SME specializing in the design and development of high-speed vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and optical transmitter components for data communications. Their core business is replacing copper-based electrical links inside data centres and supercomputers with optical interconnects that deliver higher bandwidth at lower energy consumption. They work across the hardware stack — from laser chip design through PCB-level integration — to produce components and modules that can be integrated into network switches, server boards, and high-performance computing systems. As a technology developer rather than a pure research lab, they bridge component-level photonics with real-world infrastructure demands.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

The PhotoniX project (2015–2017) focused on photonic transmitters for optical networks broadly — targeting data centres and supercomputers at the system and network level, with a EUR 1.97M budget reflecting substantial R&D scope. By IC2020 (2020–2021), the focus had sharpened considerably: keywords shift to intra-system links, PCB-level integration, copper replacement, and specific modulation formats, suggesting a move from component research toward product-ready integration closer to the end customer's board. The overall trajectory is from foundational photonic component development toward deployable, system-integrated optical link solutions positioned for direct commercial adoption.

VI Systems is moving from research-grade photonic components toward board-level optical integration products, suggesting they are positioning themselves as a supplier of drop-in optical link solutions for data centre and HPC hardware manufacturers.

How they like to work

VI Systems has operated exclusively as project coordinator across both H2020 grants — a pattern consistent with SME Instrument funding, which is designed for single-company commercial development rather than multi-partner research consortia. Their recorded partner count is zero, meaning they have not shared these projects with external consortium members in the CORDIS data. This self-contained approach suggests they are a self-sufficient technology developer who engages EU funding to de-risk commercial product development rather than to build academic networks.

The CORDIS data shows no recorded consortium partners or cross-border collaborations, which is typical for SME Instrument grants where the funding is awarded to a single company. Their network, if any, is not visible through H2020 project data and would need to be assessed through other channels such as industry associations or supply chain relationships.

What sets them apart

VI Systems occupies a narrow but high-value niche: deep VCSEL expertise combined with IC design capability and system-level integration know-how, which few European SMEs can offer end-to-end. Their successful coordination of a nearly EUR 2M EU grant for photonic transmitters signals enough technical credibility to attract serious consortium partners or industrial customers in data centre hardware. For a consortium builder, they represent a rare combination of laser physics expertise and practical engineering for real interconnect products — not just a research group producing papers.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PhotoniX
  The largest grant in their portfolio at EUR 1.97M, this SME Instrument Phase 2 award for photonic transmitters in energy-efficient data centres and supercomputers demonstrates they cleared the EU's competitive commercial-readiness threshold — Phase 2 is reserved for companies with a validated business case.
• IC2020
  A focused follow-on coordination action that sharpened their offering to PCB-level intra-system optical links replacing copper, directly targeting the growing market for short-reach optical interconnects inside servers and switches.