06:29 AM EDT, 09/23/2025 (MT Newswires) -- STMicroelectronics ( STM ) announced on Tuesday that it will lead the STARLight project, a consortium of top industrial and academic partners aimed at strengthening Europe's position in 300mm silicon photonics.

Running through 2028, the company said the project will focus on developing high-speed, energy-efficient optical technologies for data centers, AI clusters, telecom, and automotive applications.

Selected under the EU CHIPS Joint Undertaking, the company stated that the consortium comprises CEA-LETI, imec, Soitec, University Paris-Saclay, III-V Lab, and Lumiphase, which will help build a comprehensive silicon photonics value chain in Europe.

The project will develop advanced photonic integrated circuits, including modulators exceeding 200 Gbps per lane, integrated lasers, and improved chip packaging to reduce power use and preserve signal quality, it added.