CEA-Leti is launching a multilateral program to leverage micro-LED systems for ultrafast data transfer for AI growth. The institute announced the three-year initiative this week at SEMICON Europa, in Munich. The initiative will begin in January 2026. Through the program, CEA-Leti will engage other manufacturers of micro-LEDs, optical fibers, photodiodes, and interconnects to collaborate on the program. Chipmakers and system integrators will also be called on to contribute. Working principle of micro-LED-based data link. Courtesy of CEA-Leti. CEA-Leti said the “lab-to-fab” effort will draw on its own knowledge and expertise in micro-LED processing to advance beyond copper-based data systems and boost computing speeds by orders of magnitude. Micro-LEDs have the potential to achieve speeds 10× faster than copper, while reducing power consumption by up to 68%, with high reliability than current optical links. The Multilateral MicroLED Data Link Program is backed financially by unnamed industry partners and open to all segments of the microelectronics supply chain.