ATLANTA, March 25 -- Scotland's role in the global optoelectronics industry will be given a boost with a £4.2 million ($6.75 million) facility for packaging complex optoelectronic chips.
   Plans for the new facility, which will be located in Livingston, Scotland, and begin operating this summer, were announced this week by the Scottish Optoelectronics Association at the Optical Fiber Communication 2003 conference in Atlanta.
   The center will specialize in developing processes to arrange delicate circuitry in the protective packaging that allows optoelectronic devices to interface and connect to external networks via optical fibers and electronic connections. It will also develop similar solutions that can be transferred to other technologies, such as the role of biochips in diagnosing and treating illnesses.
   Funding for the facility will be provided by Scottish Enterprise, an economic development agency; and the European Regional Development Fund, in association with the Scottish Optoelectronics Association. The project is being managed by Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh from a concept developed by the Microelectronics, Optoelectronics and Communications Technology (MOCT) cluster.
   The association said the center will help bridge the gap between design and manufacturing qualification of optoelectronics-based devices. The facility will also complement the work of the recently launched Intermediate Technology Institutes, which supports business research and development in key growth sectors of the global economy.
   David Waring, Director of MOCT, said, "Scotland has an excellent reputation in the field of optoelectronics, and this project will further strengthen our international standing. The facility will provide very practical assistance to startup and spinout companies that need to develop the processes and techniques required to package their devices in order to bring them to the marketplace as quickly as possible."
   For more information, visit: www.scottish-enterprise.com