The University of Glasgow in Scotland, UK has signed a partnership agreement with a state-owned enterprise company in China to develop an international optoelectronics industry base in the Lingang area of Shanghai.
Earlier this year, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by the university and senior representatives of the Shanghai Lingang Science and Technology Innovation City Economic Development Co Ltd (a subsidiary of the Lingang Group which specializes in industrial park development) and the Shanghai Shunmao Information Technology Co (a private company established to manage and commercialize some of the technology that will be developed by the new initiative).
John Marsh, Professor of Optoelectronic Systems and Dean of the University of Glasgow-University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) Partnership, attended an inaugural event at Lingang representing the University of Glasgow.
The agreement has led to the establishment of the Shanghai Lingang International Photonic Integrated Circuit Joint Laboratory (PIC Lab), which will foster collaboration between the University of Glasgow and its partners in Lingang. PIC Lab aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of optoelectronic integrated chip technology - integrating multiple optical components on a single chip and packaging the chips with high-speed electronics - to address the demand for high-speed network connections for the next generation of the Internet.
"The University of Glasgow is delighted to be working with our new partners to strengthen international links relating to optoelectronic devices and the development and integration of an optoelectronic integration platform and industry incubation base in Lingang," says Marsh. "We shall also be working to create a Scottish platform. This is international recognition of Glasgow's long-term commitment to optical research," he adds.
A spokesman for the Shanghai Lingang Science and Technology Innovation City Economic Development Company said that the new PIC Lab would capitalize on the combination of domestic and foreign skills and resources to develop "an effective concentration of high-end technical and commercial talent in the field of photonics to deliver a world-leading, cutting-edge technology and industrial capital".
The partnership also aims to give clear leadership to the global PIC industry and offer a strong impetus to optoelectronic integrated chip technology R&D and to attract further domestic and foreign optoelectronic talent technology, adds the spokesman.
The Chinese partners in the agreement plan to visit the University of Glasgow later this year to promote and cement the new bilateral cooperation project.
