ACTPHAST is a unique one-stop-shop solution for supporting photonics innovation
Currently 2 ACTPHAST projects are running to support innovation with Photonics.
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ACTPHAST4.0 is specially designed to support European companies who want to boost the innovation of their projects with photonics. This project is supported by the EU. ( Grant Agreement No. 779472).
Learn more about ACTPHAST4.0 - ACTPHAST4R aims to support researchers who have a conceptional breakthrough and would like to realize their prototype (or some components for their prototype) with mature photonics technologies. This project is supported by the EU. ( Grant Agreement No. 825051)
Learn more about ACTPHAST4R
With the combination of both projects we aim to bridge the gap between TRL1-2 up to TRL 5-6.
What’s in it for you?
- Direct access to the expertise and state-of-the-art facilities of Europe’s leading photonics research centres.
- Access to 7 different Photonics technology platforms ranging from free space optics, optical fibers, large area organic photoncis MOEM's and different photonic integrated circuits platforms.
- Impact a wide range of industrial sectors and application domains.
Our projects
The access to top-level experts and leading photonics technology platforms provided by the ACTPHAST consortium is realized through focused innovation projects executed in relatively short timeframes (typically 6-9 months) with a critical mass of suitably qualified companies with high potential product concepts. The technical innovation support is supplemented by expert business and financial coaching supports to help ensure that the innovation activities are also commercially focused and primed for market success. ACTPHAST is closely aligned with the Photonics Pilot Lines and Mass Manufacturing in Europe to seamlessly progress successful prototypes developed through the ACTPHAST incubator all the way to large-scale production and market-ready products.
In addition, ACTPHAST includes Europe Unlimited in the consortium who run the highly successful TechTour program around Europe each year to match venture capital with high potential start-ups and scale-ups in key technology areas. Together with this partner and in closely collaboration with Photonics21 and the Photonics PPP, ACTPHAST will deliver the European Photonics Venture Forum (EPVF) once a year at key locations around Europe to help boost the level of new financial investment sources for photonics innovation by European companies.
As a result of its innovation support activities, ACTPHAST is expected to deliver a substantial increase in the revenues and employment numbers of the supported companies by enabling faster time-to-market of new product opportunities and addressing emerging markets where photonics is a key enabling technology. To the supported researchers ACTPHAST is expected to leverage their breakthroughs to a higher technology readiness level making use of mature photonics technology and to a higher investment readiness lesson by business coaching. Furthermore, through its extensive outreach activities, ACTPHAST will ensure there is an increased level of awareness and understanding across European industries and European researchers of the technical and commercial potential of photonics, especially amongst first users and "non-photonics" end users.
ACTPHAST is
- particularly suited to the needs of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who do not have the financial resources to invest in in-house R&D expertise and state-of-the-art technologies, nor to undertake risky innovation projects. This through our ACTPHAST4.0 programme.
- particulary suited to the needs of European researchers who do not have directly access to mature photonics technology and expertise to leverage their breakthrough to a more mature prototype. This thanks to our ACTPHAST4R programme.
- heavily subsidized for projects undertaken with SMEs and researchers (100% subsidy for the first 30K€ of costs for an innovation project and 75% subsidy for all project costs over 30K€ including follow-on projects. For large-scale companies, the subsidy is 50% on all project costs).
- designed to provide open access to photonics innovation support for all European companies and European researchers who meet the eligibility criteria, and we have strict governance structures and systems in place around the key persons responsible for running the program to ensure that ACTPHAST remains true to its mission and mandate, and that all decisions are open, transparent and properly accounted for.
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