VIVID COMPONENTS LTD

Their core work

Vivid Components is a UK-based semiconductor design SME specializing in advanced optoelectronic and high-frequency components, particularly resonant tunnelling diodes (RTDs) and III-V semiconductor devices. They design and supply components for terahertz and millimetre-wave wireless communication systems, enabling ultra-broadband data links for backhaul and fronthaul networks. More recently, they have expanded into infrared photonic components for gas sensing and environmental monitoring applications, combining their semiconductor expertise with spectroscopy and laser technologies.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

From 2015 to 2019, Vivid Components focused squarely on terahertz and millimetre-wave wireless communications — designing semiconductor components like resonant tunnelling diodes for ultra-broadband transceivers (iBROW, TERAPOD, ThoR). Starting around 2021, they began applying their photonic and semiconductor capabilities to environmental sensing, with TRIAGE targeting mid-infrared gas detection using supercontinuum lasers and deep learning. This shift suggests a deliberate move from pure telecom components toward sensing and environmental applications, while retaining their core photonic expertise.

Vivid Components is diversifying from telecom-only semiconductor work into photonic sensing for environmental and industrial applications, making them increasingly relevant for green-tech and smart-city consortia.

How they like to work

Vivid Components operates exclusively as a specialist participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, which is typical for a small component supplier contributing deep technical expertise to larger consortia. With 41 unique partners across 12 countries over just 5 projects, they integrate into broad European consortia rather than working in small, tight teams. This wide partner base suggests they are a reliable, low-friction technical partner that larger organizations bring in when they need advanced semiconductor or photonic component capabilities.

With 41 unique consortium partners across 12 countries from only 5 projects, Vivid Components has a remarkably wide network for its size. Their collaborations span a broad European geography, connecting them to major telecom and photonics research groups across the continent.

What sets them apart

Vivid Components occupies a rare niche: a small, agile SME with hands-on capability in terahertz and infrared semiconductor device design — a space typically dominated by large research institutes and universities. Their ability to bridge high-frequency wireless components and photonic sensing makes them a versatile partner for projects requiring custom optoelectronic devices. For consortium builders, they offer the technical depth of an academic lab combined with the commercial focus and IP flexibility of a private company.

Highlights from their portfolio

• iBROW
  Their largest funded project (EUR 235,838) and the clearest window into their core RTD and III-V semiconductor capabilities for THz wireless.
• TRIAGE
  Marks a strategic pivot into environmental sensing — combining supercontinuum lasers, mid-infrared spectroscopy, and deep learning for pollution detection.
• GALAHAD
  An outlier in their portfolio — applying optoelectronic expertise to medical OCT diagnostics for glaucoma, demonstrating cross-sector adaptability.