CanopAI Project Receives France 2030 Grant for Photonics

Scintil Photonics, Presto Engineering, and CEA-Leti have been awarded funding for their joint CanopAI project under the France 2030 “i-Demo” program, supported by Bpifrance. The project focuses on addressing critical challenges related to the testing, reliability, and industrial readiness of photonic integrated circuits (PICs used in artificial intelligence and data center applications.

The CanopAI project, which stands for “Optical Interconnections for AI and Datacenters,” is led by Scintil Photonics and is intended to strengthen France’s and Europe’s technological sovereignty in semiconductors and photonics. The initiative brings together complementary expertise across design, testing, qualification, and advanced materials integration.

The project aims to develop a technical roadmap to support future generations of photonic integrated circuits capable of meeting the growing data transmission demands of AI infrastructures. Its objectives include improving power efficiency, latency, and bandwidth density of GPU-to-GPU optical interconnects while preparing technologies for scalable industrial deployment.

Scintil Photonics contributes its SHIP™ (Scintil Heterogeneous Integration Photonics) technology, which integrates III-V materials with silicon photonics to enable fully integrated optical chips. SHIP™ consolidates key optical functions, including lasers, modulators, and monitoring photodiodes, onto a single die. The technology is used to fabricate LEAFLight™, a multiwavelength light source designed for compatibility with high-volume silicon photonics foundry processes.

“The CanopAI project is a significant milestone in the industrial readiness of our photonic technology,” said Olivier Potavin, COO of Scintil Photonics. “Through our collaboration with Presto Engineering and CEA-Leti, we are establishing a complete value chain, from design to production, and deploying advanced electrical and optical wafer-level testing solutions. This initiative will further solidify Europe’s position as a leader in photonics and semiconductor innovation.”

As the industrialization partner, Presto Engineering brings expertise in semiconductor testing, qualification, and reliability engineering. Within the project, Presto is focused on developing automated electro-optical test solutions to characterize photonic integrated circuits at wafer and package levels, validate thermal and reliability performance, and support ramp-up to volume production.

“Integrated photonics represents one of the most transformative evolutions in the semiconductor industry,” said Didier Narassiguin, VP of NPI & IP at Presto Engineering. “Through the CanopAI project, we’re tackling key challenges in test and reliability to help ensure that these next-generation photonic technologies can be industrialized efficiently within Europe.”

CEA-Leti contributes applied research expertise in III-V material development and heterogeneous integration. The institute is supporting innovations in bonding and integration techniques, with the goal of optimizing substrate reuse and preparing photonic processes for future manufacturing on 300 mm wafers.

“These innovations will enhance the scalability and sustainability of next-generation photonic processes,” added Eléonore Hardy, Silicon Photonics partnership manager at CEA-Leti.

The CanopAI project brings together three French organizations to establish a coordinated value chain addressing design, testing, reliability, and advanced integration of photonic technologies. The collaboration supports the development of energy-efficient, scalable optical interconnects aligned with the needs of AI and data center infrastructures.

The Bpifrance grant under the France 2030 “i-Demo” program reflects national priorities to support innovation in semiconductors, photonics, and artificial intelligence, while strengthening domestic capabilities and industrial competitiveness.

About Scintil Photonics

Scintil Photonics is a semiconductor company developing integrated photonic system-on-chip technologies for optical interconnect applications. Using its proprietary SHIP™ heterogeneous integration process, the company supports high-density optical integration compatible with silicon photonics manufacturing environments. Scintil Photonics is headquartered in Grenoble, France, with operations in North America. For more information, please click here,

About Presto Engineering

Presto Engineering is an independent ASIC design and semiconductor device production provider offering services from initial design through industrialization and finished product delivery. The company provides expertise in circuit design, qualification, and advanced optical and photonic testing, including photonic integrated circuit characterization. Presto Engineering is headquartered in Meyreuil, France. For more information, please click here,

About CEA-Leti

CEA-Leti is a technology research institute specializing in micro- and nanotechnologies for semiconductor and photonic systems. Founded in 1967, the institute conducts applied research supporting industrial innovation in electronics, digital infrastructure, energy, and healthcare. CEA-Leti is headquartered in Grenoble, France. To learn more, please click here. 

Source/Photo Credit: Scintil Photonics, Presto Engineering, CEA-Leti

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