Collaboration
New Taiwan–France Partnership for Next-Gen Co-Packaged Optics
As AI data centers demand faster, more energy-efficient data transmission, ITRI has brought together Taiwan’s Raytek Semiconductor and French startup NcodiN to develop optical interconnects designed to move beyond copper interconnects towards scalable, in-package, long-reach optical links for future computing architectures and AI chips.
This collaboration combines the French company’s expertise in photonics and advanced packaging and Taiwan’s capabilities in optical communications, accelerating optical communications innovation and strengthening global AI and high-performance computing (HPC) supply chains.
Raytek Semiconductor and NcodiN have formed the first Taiwan–France partnership in the co-packaged optics field.
Combining Complementary Technologies for AI Infrastructure
The partners contribute complementary capabilities across advanced packaging and photonics. Raytek specializes in wafer-level advanced packaging and has collaborated with ITRI on key co-packaged optics processes, including high-efficiency through-silicon via (TSV) technology. NcodiN develops optical interconnect platforms based on what it describes as the world’s smallest silicon-based nanolaser, enabling higher computing performance with lower energy consumption.
Why Optical Interconnects Matter for the AI Era
As AI data centers demand higher bandwidth and lower power consumption, bringing optical transmission closer to switch chips will become increasingly important. TrendForce projects the combined co-packaged optics (CPO), near-packaged optics (NPO) and optical interconnects market to grow from around US$100 million in 2025 to more than US$39 billion by 2030.
Echoing this market trend, Wei-Chung Lo, Deputy General Director of ITRI’s Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories, said, “AI infrastructure is driving the convergence of advanced packaging and optical interconnect technologies. By bringing together diverse strengths, this partnership will help accelerate commercialization and reinforce Taiwan’s role in next-generation optical communications and the global semiconductor supply chain.”
Building Faster, More Efficient AI Data Centers
“Optical transmission is becoming a core technology for next-generation AI, high-performance computing, and data center architectures,” said Johnson Tai, Chairman and President of Raytek Semiconductor. “Our collaboration with NcodiN will combine expertise in advanced packaging and photonics to develop high-speed, low-power optical interconnect solutions. By advancing photonic integration, optical-electrical co-design, and system validation, we aim to deliver greater bandwidth density, higher reliability, and improved energy efficiency for future computing platforms.”
The collaboration spans high-speed photonic integration, low-power transmission architectures, and the co-design of optical components with advanced packaging to improve signal integrity and overall system performance. As demand for faster data exchange continues to grow, the partners aim to accelerate the deployment of optical interconnect solutions for AI, HPC, and next-generation data centers.
Connecting Taiwan’s Tech Ecosystem with Europe
The Taiwan–France partnership creates new opportunities for companies across the ecosystem to engage with Europe’s high-end photonics and communications markets, strengthening global collaboration in next-generation co-packaged optics.