The project will be launched on October 1, 2025 and aims to contribute to the expansion of Europe's digital infrastructure and consolidate its technological sovereignty.
Fiber optic networks are a cornerstone of the digital future. As industries compete for key technologies, the demand for higher bandwidths and lower latencies continues to grow. Future 6G networks, in particular, must meet extremely high data transmission requirements. The challenge: the higher the desired data speed, the more signal quality tends to degrade. To compensate for interference, providers currently use digital signal processors. “However, these are expensive and not a sustainable long-term solution due to their enormous energy consumption,” explains Michael Rothe, head of the embedded AI group at the Fraunhofer IIS. As a result, further increases in fiber optic data speeds are reaching their technical limits.
The SpikeHERO project is working on a solution. Project partners are developing a novel AI processor architecture that combines an optical and electrical neural network chip. These neural networks will continuously monitor the communication channel, analyze the signals, and correct any interference at the receiver using control parameters. By maintaining signal quality, new possibilities are opening up for increasing data rates in fiber optic systems. Specifically, the project aims to triple the bandwidth from 10 GHz to 30 GHz and reduce latency from 10 microseconds to less than 6 nanoseconds. At the same time, power consumption is expected to decrease from 7-10 watts to just 1-2 watts.
Inspired by the brain
Spiked neural networks (SNNs) are considered a promising advance in artificial intelligence. Their mode of operation mimics the principles of the human brain: information is processed in pulses—or “spikes”—and only when a critical relevance threshold is exceeded. This makes SNNs ideal for AI applications that require both real-time responsiveness and energy efficiency.
There are different approaches to developing SNN chip hardware. Optical semiconductors transmit peaks via photons, while their electrical counterparts use voltage and current. Each type has its advantages, and SpikeHERO aims to combine both. For the electrical SNN chip, the project will use the SENNA chip developed by Fraunhofer IIS and Fraunhofer EMFT. “We are currently working on the second generation, which promises even higher peak rates with lower power consumption ,” says Rothe.
A pan-European collaboration
SpikeHERO (Spike Hybrid Edge Computing for Robust Optoelectrical Signal Processing) is funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC) with a budget of over €4.2 million and will run from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2029. The initiative brings together research and industry partners from four European countries: Fraunhofer IIS, Fraunhofer EMFT, Eindhoven University of Technology, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Labs Belgium, and Argotech from the Czech Republic. Projects like SpikeHERO build upon and strengthen the capabilities and infrastructure established through Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD). They also contribute to the APECS pilot project for advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration of electronic components and systems, implemented by FMD as part of the EU Chips Act. The goal: to drive innovation in chiplets and advance European semiconductor research and manufacturing in the long term.
