Based on current data usage, it is expected that by the year 2025 there will be over 30 billion connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices globally, a significant increase from 14 billion in 2021. 

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As internet connectivity expands and global reliance increases, the demand for secure and efficient data continues to rise. It is currently estimated that 5.03 billion people around the world use the internet, this is equivalent to 63.1% of the world’s total population. 

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At present, data and telecom industries are facing the challenge of this huge increase in data usage, which is expected to account for 10% of global energy consumption by 2027. 

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Photonic Chips also known as Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) use photons (light) to transfer information. PICs combine two or more photonic functions into a single chip to create smaller, faster and more energy-efficient devices, thereby providing a powerful way to increase performance while limiting impact on the climate.

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The company SMART Photonics is one of the market leading foundries for integrated photonics chips, solely focused on the manufacturing and development of PICs to address the increase in global demand. 

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“We are happy to take that responsibility, and develop technology so that our customers can benefit from that and put their innovation to life.”

- Johan Feenstra, CEO of Smart Photonics 

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The Multi-Sectoral Benefits of PICs

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PICs efficient data collection and transmission enables optimised solutions at lower economical and environmental costs.These benefits can be identified in a great number of industries and sectors.

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SMART Photonic manufactures PICs that will enable the internet of the future. The chips are the keys in addressing the need for fast and safe sensors for assisted and autonomous mobility. 

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Furthermore, PICs acquire the functionalities of sensors for diagnostic tools that can be used at home to address the rapidly rising costs of healthcare. They are positioned in critical pieces of infrastructure such as planes, whereby they can detect a change in inflight data, namely temperature variation, so that it can be resolved efficiently, helping make global transportation safer. Additionally, PICs chips can be utilised to detect harmful substances polluting the air and or poisoning global food supplies. This data can be instrumental to reducing global food waste whilst improving air and food quality. 

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There are many future applications that cannot even be imagined today. We know that electronic chips have had a major impact on many aspects of our life. Photonic integrated chips can have that same impact in the future.

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Data Energy Efficiency and Security

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In 2017 Forbes calculated that U.S data centres use more than 90 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year, and the global total power usage for data centres was approximately 416 terawatts, around 3% of the global energy usage.

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The transition to photonic integrated circuits from electronic chips will see this energy consumption decrease. PICs are designed to be more economically effective while using less energy. The global transition to PICs will aid the continued worldwide effort for environmental betterment. 

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