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Photonic Inc. Opens U.K. R&D Facility: Week in Brief: 6/20/2025

Photonics.com
Jun 2025VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 20, 2025 — Photonic Inc., a Canadian distributed fault-tolerant quantum computing company, plans to establish a quantum R&D facility in the U.K. Over the next three years, according to Photonic, it will open the facility, creating more than 30 jobs and investing more than £25 million ($28.6M). 

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Photonic Inc.'s chief quantum officer, Stephanie Simmons, Ph.D., and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Courtesy of Photonic Inc.

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The company has received investment from Canada-based BCI and Inovia Capital, UK-based Amadeus Capital Partners, and the National Security Strategic Investment Fund, while also participating in a joint funding initiative between Canada’s National Research Council and Innovate UK.

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The partners of MAX IV and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin signed an agreement to strengthen collaboration in accelerator R&D, beamlines, and other fields of shared interest.

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LUND, Sweden — Swedish national synchrotron laboratory MAX IV and the BESSY II light source at German research association Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin entered into a cooperation agreement to advance materials science through facility collaboration. According to the collaborators, the agreement establishes a framework to strengthen cooperation for operational and technological development in accelerator R&D, beamlines and optics, end-stations and sample environments, and digitalization and data science.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Vuzix, an AI-powered smart glasses, advanced waveguides, and augmented reality company, received a $5 million second tranche investment from Quanta Computer, a strategic partner. This latest investment brings Quanta's total investment in Vuzix to $15 million out of an anticipated total of $20 million. The funding will go toward Vuzix’s manufacturing of its AI-powered smart glasses.

HAMAMATSU, Japan — Hamamatsu Photonics constructed a building at its main factory in Hamamatsu City, Japan. The building aims to help the company meet growing demand for opto-semiconductor products. The building is scheduled to begin operations in December.

DÜSSELDORF, Germany — HSG Laser, a manufacturer of laser cutting machines, opened two regional warehouses, one each in Germany and Poland. The Krefeld warehouse, in Germany, with a 10,000 sq m core area, has been operational since March 2025 and is located near Rotterdam and Antwerp. The opening of the German warehouse follows the company's inauguration of its Gdynia warehouse, in Poland, which has been active since December 2023. The factories aim to eliminate long lead times for customers, reduce supply chain risks, and respond quickly to market demands.

GOLETA, Calif. — High-performance semiconductor company Aeluma received an award from the U.S. Navy to accelerate the development of high-speed photodetectors for government and commercial applications. The contract is for up to $1.3 million in funding, includes a major global interconnect manufacturer as a proposed subcontractor, and involves support from a top-tier government prime contractor. The award follows Aeluma detailing its collaboration with Thorlabs Crystalline Solutions this month.

EINDHOVEN, Netherlands — Neways Electronics, an electronics manufacturer, signed an agreement with Teledyne FLIR. The frame agreement forms the basis for an anticipated rapid scale-up of Teledyne FLIR’s sensing solutions to meet the demands of the European defense industry, Neways said. Neways will deliver complex electronics for various Teledyne FLIR products, including thermal imagers for high sightline stability and advanced imaging performance in tracked or wheeled military vehicles.

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Pasqal opened its North American quantum computer manufacturing facility in Sherbrooke, Québec. Courtesy of Pasqal.

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PARIS — Neutral atom quantum computing company Pasqal opened its first North American quantum computer manufacturing facility in Sherbrooke, Québec. The plant will produce Pasqal’s next-generation quantum processors to serve the growing demand in North America. Coinciding with the factory’s inauguration, Pasqal reported that it finalized the sale of a 100-qubit QPU to Distriq.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Laser Photonics Corporation provided an update on a NASDAQ notice of delisting for failure to satisfy a continued listing rule or standard. Laser Photonics Corporation received an extension until the close of business on June 20 to submit its 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2024, and its 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2025, or provide NASDAQ with a plan to regain compliance.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Applied Materials and research institute CEA-Leti plan to expand their joint lab and develop materials engineering solutions to address emerging infrastructure challenges in AI data centers. The joint lab is focused on device innovations for chipmakers serving ICAPS markets (Internet of Things, Communications, Automotive, Power, and Sensors), with a focus on energy-efficient solutions, according to Sébastian Dauvé, CEA-LETI CEO. The entities signed an MOU, under which Applied Materials and CEA plan to expand the lab with new equipment and capabilities that move beyond individual process steps to include full-flow development of specialty devices. Applied Materials and CEA-Leti unveiled the joint lab in 2023.More news & features