Wrexham’s EEOC Approved; Infinera Awarded Grant for Semiconductor Production: Week in Brief: 11/24/23

Infinera has been awarded a $14 million California Competes grant by the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. The five-year grant will help to expand and modernize the company’s U.S.-based domestic production of semiconductors. Infinera also recently received a delinquency notification letter from the listing qualifications staff at Nasdaq for failing to timely file its quarterly report for the third quarter. Nasdaq mandated that Infinera submit a plan of compliance by Jan. 9, 2024.

NEW DELHI — Nokia has entered into an agreement with Bharti Airtel to deploy a multi-terabit optical transport network to provide additional capacity for Airtel’s customers. As part of the agreement, Airtel will use Nokia’s 1830 PSS-x OTN switches in its national long-distance network connecting major cities across India.

An artist’s rendition of the EEOC site. Courtesy of Wrexham University.

WREXHAM, Wales — The North Wales Ambition Board has approved the full business case for Wrexham University’s Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre (EEOC). The £18 million project will deliver a specialist center for research and development, business collaboration, and skills development in optics, photonics, and composites as lightweight alternatives for manufacturing. The project will be delivered across two university sites: the OpTIC Technology Centre at St. Asaph and the Plas Coch campus in Wrexham. Facilities are expected to be open in the fall of 2025.

The new Leuze facility in Duluth, Ga. Courtesy of Leuze.

OWEN, Germany — International sensor producer for automation technology Leuze has moved its U.S. offices to Duluth, Ga. The move was made to provide a more spacious and modern location that has a better connection to its customer base, partners, and distributors. Leuze will relocate the sales, operations, and development departments currently based in New Hudson, Mich., by the end of 2023.

SINGAPORE — Opto GmbH has established a new sales office in Singapore to look after its distribution partners and key accounts. Tan Khiang has been appointed director of territories within Asia and Oceana.

BOLLÈNE, France — Thermal imaging and optoelectronics company EGIDE has launched a €1.9 million ($2.07 million) capital increase with preemptive subscription rights for shareholders. The company will be issuing 2,956,248 ordinary shares at a unit price of €0.65 ($0.71).

The PowerLight team welcomes Heidi Shyu (middle) to its new facility. Courtesy of PowerLight Technologies.

KENT, Wash. — PowerLight Technologies, a developer of laser power beaming systems, has completed the construction of its new headquarters. The facility includes space for 50 to 75 engineers and technicians, 3D manufacturing capabilities, tools for advanced modeling and simulation, and test, assembly, and demonstration facilities.

NEW YORK — Submeter-resolution Earth observation data collection company Satellogic Inc. received a remote sensing license from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The license results in Satellogic being subject to NOAA’s oversight as Satellogic pivots operational control of its satellite constellation to its U.S. personnel and expands the Satellogic ground station network to include U.S.-based ground stations.

AMHERST, Mass. — Optical Waters, a startup supported by the IALS Venture Development program, was awarded National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research Phase II funding for an undisclosed amount in order to scale and optimize its manufacturing methods. Optical Waters is a woman-owned seed-staged business that offers custom ultraviolet optical fiber solutions for disinfecting small channels and complex geometries.

SUZHOU, China — TSUN, a photovoltaics company, has secured over RMB 150 million ($20.9 million) in series B funding to automate production lines, increase production capacity, and develop supply chains. The investment was led by IDG Capital and followed an investment from Hidden Hill Capital. Supported by Suzhou High-Speed Rail New City, TSUN will begin construction on a fully owned 50,000-sq-m facility to increase production capacity. It expects the facility to be operational by 2025.