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GREST · Project

Advanced Optical Sensors and Precision Optics for Next-Generation Telescope Instrumentation

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est-east.eu

Imagine trying to take a super-detailed photo of the sun's surface — every tiny magnetic storm, every flare — but your camera isn't sharp enough. Europe is building a massive new solar telescope (EST) and this project built the key missing pieces: better detectors, sharper filters, and smarter mirrors. Think of it like upgrading from a basic phone camera to a professional DSLR, but for looking at the sun. They built two new sensor prototypes, a precision optical filter, and large liquid-crystal components that could also be useful far beyond astronomy.

By the numbers
EUR 2,977,273
EU funding for instrumentation development
13
consortium partners across Europe
6
countries represented in the consortium
2
new detector sensor prototypes developed
3
industry partners involved in development
8
total deliverables produced
The business problem

What needed solving

Building the next generation of large telescopes requires optical sensors, filters, and adaptive optics components that don't exist off the shelf. Current commercial detectors lack the format size and polarimetric precision needed, and Fabry-Perot etalons suffer from parallelism control issues at large apertures. These same precision optics gaps affect sectors beyond astronomy — from remote sensing to laser communications.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered two detector sensor prototypes (large-format imaging and high-precision polarimetry), a capacitance-stabilised Fabry-Perot prototype, integral field unit designs including a final opto-mechanical design for a multi-slit IFU, large-format liquid-crystal modulators, and performance evaluations of MCAO deformable mirrors. A total of 8 deliverables were produced, plus a census of the European solar physics community and an industrial capability mapping.

Audience

Who needs this

Precision optics manufacturers building Fabry-Perot interferometers or etalon-based instrumentsSensor and detector companies developing large-format scientific imaging camerasAdaptive optics suppliers for telescopes, laser systems, or satellite ground stationsLiquid crystal component manufacturers seeking large-format modulator designsSystem integrators building spectro-polarimetric instruments for remote sensing or defense
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Precision optics and photonics manufacturing
SME
Target: Companies producing Fabry-Perot interferometers, optical filters, or spectroscopic instruments

If you are a precision optics manufacturer struggling with maintaining exact parallelism in etalon plates — this project developed a capacitance-stabilised Fabry-Perot prototype that delivers high-quality control of plate parallelism. With 13 consortium partners across 6 countries contributing expertise, the design is validated by both research institutions and 3 industry partners.

Sensor and detector development
mid-size
Target: Companies building large-format imaging sensors or wavefront sensing cameras

If you are a sensor company looking to push detector performance for demanding applications — this project developed two prototype sensors, one for large-format imaging and another for high-precision polarimetry. They also evaluated a large-format wavefront sensing camera. These designs are directly transferable to industrial imaging, remote sensing, or defense optics.

Adaptive optics and deformable mirror systems
mid-size
Target: Companies supplying deformable mirrors for telescopes, laser systems, or satellite communications

If you are an adaptive optics supplier needing better deformable mirror performance data — this project evaluated multi-conjugate adaptive optics (MCAO) deformable mirrors and generated design improvement recommendations. With EUR 2,977,273 in EU funding and 6 research institutes involved, the performance benchmarks are rigorous and publicly documented across 8 deliverables.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or access these prototype designs?

The project was publicly funded with EUR 2,977,273 under Horizon 2020 RIA (Research and Innovation Action). RIA results are typically available for licensing or collaboration. Specific licensing terms would need to be negotiated with the coordinator, Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias in Spain.

Can these prototypes scale to industrial production volumes?

The project developed two prototype sensors and a Fabry-Perot prototype — these are lab-validated designs, not production-ready units. Scaling to manufacturing would require engineering partnerships with detector fabricators or optics companies, likely another 2-3 development cycles.

Who owns the intellectual property from this project?

IP from Horizon 2020 RIA projects typically stays with the partner who generated it. The consortium includes 3 industry partners and 2 SMEs across 6 countries, so IP may be distributed. The coordinator in Spain would be the starting point for IP access discussions.

Are there regulatory barriers to using these optical technologies commercially?

Precision optical components and sensors generally face export control regulations (dual-use) depending on resolution and application. Based on available project data, no specific regulatory certifications were pursued during GREST since the focus was telescope instrumentation design.

How long before these technologies could be deployed in a commercial product?

The project ran from 2015 to 2018 and delivered prototype-level components. Based on the deliverable descriptions, the multi-slit integral field unit reached final opto-mechanical design stage. Commercial deployment would likely require 3-5 years of additional engineering and industrialization work.

Can these sensor prototypes integrate with existing optical measurement systems?

The two detector prototypes were designed for the European Solar Telescope's specific requirements (large-format imaging and high-precision polarimetry). Based on available project data, adaptation to other optical systems is feasible but would require interface engineering work.

Consortium

Who built it

The GREST consortium of 13 partners across 6 countries (Spain, Germany, Italy, UK, Sweden, Switzerland) is heavily research-oriented, with 6 research institutes and 4 universities making up the core. The 3 industry partners (23% industry ratio) and 2 SMEs signal that commercial players were involved but did not lead. The coordinator, Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, is a major Spanish research institution — not a commercial entity. For a business looking to access these technologies, the industry partners (particularly the 2 SMEs) are the most likely path to commercializable know-how, while the research institutes hold the fundamental design expertise. The multi-country spread means procurement discussions could involve partners in several EU jurisdictions.

How to reach the team

Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (Spain) — contact through the EST project website or CORDIS portal

Order a report on this consortiumSee INSTITUTO DE ASTROFISICA DE CANARIAS profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the GREST team or their industry partners? SciTransfer can connect you with the right person for licensing, collaboration, or technology transfer discussions.

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