SA’s first photonics prototyping facility hosted at CSIR
7 September 2016
Editor's Choice
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Opto-Electronics
To address the current lack of commercialised photonics products in South Africa, a new Photonics Prototyping Facility (PPF), hosted at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), will provide world-class facilities, technical support, equipment and scarce skills. Established through support from the Department of Science and Technology and in partnership with the Innovation Hub, the facility’s remit is the industrialisation and commercialisation of photonics-based technologies.
This initiative will serve to develop ideas and identify needs for the current South African market. The PPF aims to address the current ‘innovation chasm’ experienced in the South African photonics industry by providing the necessary skills and facilities to support the industrialisation and commercialisation of photonics-based technologies. This will help develop South Africa’s expertise in the area of photonics product development and prototyping, thus stimulating the growth of the country’s photonics industry by forming small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) and sustainable jobs.
PPF diagnostic equipment.
The PPF offers a world-class facility in the form of Class 1000 clean rooms, housing electronic, mechanical and diagnostic equipment for a variety of wavelengths. The facility will also boast scarce skills such as knowledge and experience in optics and photonics, and assistance with photonics-related prototype design and testing. The PPF will facilitate access to its industry, business and funding networks to assist in product and business development and incubation.
The PPF is inviting scientists, researchers and engineers from science councils, higher education institutes, SMMEs and industries, as well as entrepreneurs and investors, to participate in photonic-related prototype development.
CSIR laser researcher, Dr Angela Dudley says, “We are very excited about this initiative and we are looking forward to facilitating the development of prototypes for the realisation of photonics-based products and devices. Ultimately we hope the PPF will act as a catalyst for new South African photonics products used to improve the competitiveness of the existing industry and for new and emerging industries to be formed, resulting in job creation.”
For more information contact Dr Angela Dudley, CSIR, ppf@csir.co.za
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