On July 9th, 2026, we officially kicked off Project CONNECT, together with a strong consortium of companies, knowledge institutes and ecosystem partners in the Dutch semiconductor industry. In this project, OnePlanet Research Center contributes with our expertise in integrated photonics, tunable lasers, advanced packaging and digital twin technologies, while collaborating with partners HighTechNL, TNO-CITC, Tempress, Caperfossa, CoolSem, ASMPT, FlexMicro, Trymax, Boschman, Bronkhorst, Salland and Benchmark.
Semiconductors are becoming increasingly complex, miniaturized and integrated into a growing number of applications. At the same time, Europe is working to strengthen its strategic autonomy and reduce dependence on semiconductor supply chains outside the region. To remain competitive, the industry requires new generations of manufacturing equipment, innovative packaging technologies and more sustainable production processes.
The CONNECT project addresses these challenges by developing advanced front-end and back-end semiconductor manufacturing technologies, including nanoimprint lithography, plasma processing, thermal management solutions, spray coating, micro-jetting, photonic integrated circuits (PICs), advanced packaging and AI-driven digital twins. By combining expertise across the semiconductor value chain, CONNECT aims to accelerate innovation while reducing material consumption, energy use and production costs.
In CONNECT, our role is to develop sustainable, scalable packaging solutions for PIC-based tunable laser platform which will be used in advanced sensing applications, together with TNO-CITC. We will also contribute a digital twin framework for sustainable chip packaging processes, helping to optimize manufacturing performance while minimizing environmental impact.
Through this collaboration, CONNECT will strengthen the Lifeport Semicon Industries ecosystem in Gelderland, supporting the development of a resilient, sustainable and internationally competitive semiconductor sector in the Netherlands.
The project is carried out within the framework of the EFRO Oost programme and is co-funded by the European Union.
More information is available on the project web site: CLICK HERE
