“We are proud to be one of the 56 European companies selected for this funding,” commented Carlos Pardo, CEO and co-founder of KDPOF. “With this support, we will be able to make large-scale Spanish manufacturing of high-speed optoelectronic devices for the automotive sector a reality, thus significantly reducing our current dependence on manufacturers located in Asia and the United States,” he added.
Along with the opening of the factory, the development of an innovative packaging technology is also planned, with its launch anticipated in the next high-speed optical communication transceivers used in the most modern vehicles.
The European Union anticipates the completion of the global IPCEI ME/CT project by 2032; however, some products could be launched on the market as early as 2025. Furthermore, it is estimated that the 68 beneficiary projects will generate approximately 8,700 direct jobs and unlock at least €13.7 billion in private investment.
Latest generation Spanish chips
KDPOF technology has solved the need for interconnection that has arisen from the incorporation of cameras, sensors, artificial intelligence and multiple processors in current vehicles.
KDPOF's chips and transceivers establish links via fiber optics, making connections between all elements much faster, more robust, reliable, and cost-effective. With this new project, the company will not only design these chips but will also be responsible for most of the production process.
The manufacture of silicon wafers, which constitutes the first phase of chip production, requires a very delicate process and high-volume manufacturing to be profitable. After the wafers are cut to separate each microchip, they are encapsulated and tested to guarantee the quality and functionality of each unit.
"The encapsulation and testing processes require very specific machinery, but much more accessible than that used to produce the wafers. Therefore, with our project and the grant from the IPCEI ME/TC program, it will be entirely feasible to carry out these last two phases of microchip production from Spain,"Pardo explained.
Current demand from the automotive sector requires large volumes, but not on the same scale as other sectors. Therefore, the implementation of the KDPOF factory will make it possible to supply this demand. In addition, KDPOF aims to help position Spain as a European leader in the field of optical communications and microelectronics.
