On June 28, 2025, the "Intelligence-Photonics Integration, Chip-Enabled Future" Shanghai Silicon Photonics Future Industry Innovation and Development Conference was successfully held in Zhangjiang, Pudong.
The event brought together leading experts from the technology, industry, and finance sectors to discuss and collaborate on advancing cutting-edge innovations in silicon photonics, promote the development of a future-oriented industrial ecosystem, and establish Shanghai as a leading hub for silicon photonics technology and industrial innovation.
At the conference, the "LightHub" Shanghai Silicon Photonics Future Industrial Cluster officially commenced construction in Pudong New Area. Eight companies signed agreements with Zhangjiang Hi-Tech to establish their presence. Meanwhile, Pudong New Area presented an overview of the Silicon Photonics Future Industrial Cluster. The Shanghai Future Industry Fund, in collaboration with eight leading market-oriented funds, launched the Silicon Photonics Future Industry Fund Consortium. The construction of a proof-of-concept platform for silicon photonics was also initiated. Additionally, the "Zhangjiang Cup · Silicon Photonics Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition" was officially announced during the event.
Silicon photonics is a disruptive technological that integrates the ultra-large scale, ultra-high precision, and low manufacturing cost of integrated circuits with the ultra-high speed, ultra-low power consumption, and strong anti-interference capabilities of photonic technologies. With broad application prospects in optical interconnection, optical computing, optical sensing, and other fields, it has attracted global strategic interest and is poised to serve as a high-speed engine leading the “post-Moore era.”
Shanghai possesses foundational strengths in the silicon photonics domain, including a concentration of design enterprises, advanced manufacturing platforms, and robust research capabilities. The launch of the "LightHub" represents a major initiative to foster an innovative industrial ecosystem and build a distinctive industrial cluster.
Moving forward, the "LightHub" will leverage Zhangjiang’s leading advantages in advanced silicon photonics manufacturing platforms and its ecosystem clustering effect in integrated circuits. Based within the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech · Chuangbo Park, it will bring together companies and platforms engaged in silicon photonics design, manufacturing, packaging, and testing. The cluster will be supported by 16 high-quality policy supply and service guarantees across five major categories, deepening the integration of technological innovation and industrial advancement. These efforts will accelerate the large-scale application of silicon photonics technologies in high-speed optical communication and AI computing clusters, cultivate a cohort of benchmark enterprises, yield a series of landmark achievements, and deliver high-quality growth drivers for Shanghai’s integrated circuit industry.
Chuangbo Park is deeply integrated into Zhangjiang's silicon photonics industrial belt. Located in the northwest area of Zhangjiang Science City, this park provides 38,000 m² of space. Its first and second floors feature a 6.7-meter ceiling height, ideal for laboratories and pilot production. To support robust operations, the park offers a high power capacity of 120–150 W/m², while the first floor's 10 kN/m² load-bearing capacity accommodates heavy instruments, meeting all demands of process R&D enterprises.
At the conference, experts including Mi Lei from CAS Star and Zou Weiwen from Shanghai Jiao Tong University delivered speeches on topics such as “Photonics Chips Leading the AI Revolution” and “The Technical Advantages and Industrial Development of Optical Computing.” During the roundtable session, representatives from the financial and industrial sectors engaged in in-depth discussions on “Development Trends and Entrepreneurial Opportunities in the Silicon Photonics Industry.”
The event was co-hosted by Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Development Co., Ltd., Shanghai Future Industry Fund, CAS Star Technology Investment Co., Ltd., among others. It attracted more than 200 participants from universities, research institutes, academicians, experts, enterprises, and investment institutions.
