OPTICON · Project

Advanced Optical and Infrared Components for Precision Sensing and Imaging

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Imagine Europe's best telescope scientists pooling their expertise to build sharper eyes for looking at the universe. OPTICON brought together 44 partners across 16 countries to develop cutting-edge optical and infrared technologies — things like new holographic materials and precision gratings that split light into its component colors with extreme accuracy. Along the way, they built working prototypes of components that could see use far beyond astronomy, anywhere you need to detect, measure, or image with light. Think of it as upgrading the toolkit that lets us see things the human eye never could.

By the numbers

consortium partners

countries involved

EUR 10,000,000

EU funding

total deliverables produced

demo-level deliverables including prototypes

industrial partner in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies in photonics, defense, and telecom need higher-performance optical components — gratings that split light more precisely, materials that detect fainter infrared signals, and systems that integrate these into compact packages. Off-the-shelf components often fall short for cutting-edge applications. Developing these in-house requires deep expertise in optical physics that most companies lack.

The solution

What was built

The project built four concrete demonstrators: a large-size Volume Phase Holographic Grating (VPHG) for high-resolution spectral analysis, a system demonstrator integrating optical-infrared components, a PCDM prototype, and a new holographic material. In total, the consortium produced 48 deliverables across the full technology chain.

Audience

Who needs this

Spectrometer and optical sensor manufacturers looking for higher-resolution gratingsDefense contractors developing infrared detection and night-vision systemsTelecom equipment companies working on wavelength division multiplexingScientific instrument makers building analytical or measurement toolsSpace technology companies developing Earth observation payloads

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Photonics & Optical Components

SME

Target: Manufacturers of spectrometers, optical sensors, and precision imaging systems

If you are an optical component manufacturer looking for next-generation diffraction gratings — this project developed a large-size Volume Phase Holographic Grating (VPHG) and new holographic materials that enable higher spectral resolution. With 48 deliverables across 44 partner institutions, the underlying know-how covers the full chain from material development to integrated system demonstration.

Defense & Security

enterprise

Target: Companies developing infrared surveillance, night vision, or remote sensing systems

If you are a defense or security firm that needs better infrared detection and imaging — this project built a system demonstrator and a PCDM prototype for precision optical-infrared instrumentation. The consortium included 16 research institutes with deep infrared astronomy expertise, meaning the technologies were designed to detect extremely faint signals in challenging conditions.

Telecommunications & Fiber Optics

mid-size

Target: Telecom equipment makers and fiber-optic network providers

If you are a telecom equipment company dealing with signal separation or wavelength multiplexing challenges — this project's large-size VPHG and holographic material advances could improve how optical signals are filtered and routed. The technology was proven at system-demonstrator level across a consortium spanning 16 countries, with real hardware built and tested.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or acquire these optical technologies?

The project was funded with EUR 10,000,000 across 44 partners, coordinated by the University of Cambridge. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated directly with Cambridge or the specific partner that developed the component of interest. Universities typically offer flexible licensing for SMEs.

Can these optical components be manufactured at industrial scale?

The project produced a large-size VPHG and a system demonstrator, indicating the technology has moved beyond lab-scale. However, with only 1 industrial partner out of 44 (2% industry ratio), scaling to volume production would require new manufacturing partnerships.

Who owns the intellectual property?

IP is distributed among the 44 consortium partners according to the EU grant agreement. The University of Cambridge as coordinator can direct you to the right partner for specific technologies like the VPHG, PCDM prototype, or holographic material.

How close are these technologies to being market-ready?

Four demo deliverables were produced: a large-size VPHG, a system demonstrator, a PCDM prototype, and a holographic material. This puts the technologies at prototype-to-tested stage. Further engineering and industrial validation would be needed before commercial deployment.

Can these components be integrated into existing optical systems?

The system demonstrator deliverable suggests integration feasibility was tested. However, the project focused on astronomical instrumentation, so adapting components for commercial optical systems would require engineering effort to match different specifications and standards.

Is there regulatory certification for these optical components?

Based on available project data, no commercial certification is mentioned. The components were developed for research instrumentation. Any commercial application in defense or telecom would require sector-specific certification processes.

What ongoing support is available from the consortium?

The project ended in June 2021. The consortium of 23 universities and 16 research institutes remains active in European astronomy. The coordinator at the University of Cambridge can facilitate connections to specific technical teams for follow-up collaboration.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a heavily research-driven consortium: 23 universities and 16 research institutes make up 89% of the 44 partners, with only 1 industrial partner (2% industry ratio) and 1 SME. The consortium spans 16 countries including major European research nations (UK, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL) plus the US and Australia. For a business looking to access the technology, this means deep scientific expertise is available but commercial translation will require active effort — there is no established industrial supply chain within the project. The University of Cambridge coordinates, providing a credible single entry point.

THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGECoordinator · UK
AARHUS UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
UNIVERSITE DE LIEGEparticipant · BE
THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETERparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITY OF BATHparticipant · UK
OBSERVATOIRE DE LA COTE D'AZUR (OCA)thirdparty · FR
UNIWERSYTET WARSZAWSKIparticipant · PL
UNIVERSITEIT LEIDENparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITY OF GALWAYparticipant · IE
FUNDACION GALILEO GALILEI - INAF FUNDACION CANARIAthirdparty · ES
THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELDparticipant · UK
NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNOparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITY OF DURHAMparticipant · UK
KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
THE UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWSparticipant · UK
LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITYparticipant · UK
EUROPEAN SOUTHERN OBSERVATORY - ESO EUROPEAN ORGANISATION FOR ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHEREparticipant · DE
LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR ASTROPHYSIK POTSDAM (AIP)participant · DE
INSTITUT D'OPTIQUE THEORIQUE ET APPLIQUEE IOTA - SUPOPTIQUEparticipant · FR
AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICASparticipant · ES
OFFICE NATIONAL D'ETUDES ET DE RECHERCHES AEROSPATIALESparticipant · FR
UNIVERSITE GRENOBLE ALPESthirdparty · FR
ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI ASTROFISICAparticipant · IT
UNITED KINGDOM RESEARCH AND INNOVATIONparticipant · UK
HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITYparticipant · UK
POLITECNICO DI MILANOparticipant · IT
UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTOparticipant · PT
UNIVERSITE PARIS CITEthirdparty · FR
ETHNIKO ASTEROSKOPEIO ATHINONparticipant · EL
THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORDparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITE D'AIX MARSEILLEthirdparty · FR
FIRST LIGHT IMAGING SASparticipant · FR
MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EVparticipant · DE
OBSERVATOIRE DE PARISthirdparty · FR
THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITYthirdparty · AU
INSTITUTO DE ASTROFISICA DE CANARIASparticipant · ES
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRSparticipant · FR
HUN-REN CSILLAGASZATI ES FOLDTUDOMANYI KUTATOKOZPONTparticipant · HU

How to reach the team

University of Cambridge, UK — use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup service to find the right contact

Order a report on this consortium See THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

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