The Council of Ministers authorized this Tuesday the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Function to participate, through the SETT, in an investment of 24.5 million euros in the Valencian company Attypics Photonics. This company, driven by businessman Álvaro Gómez-Trénor, is being established with the aim of developing a photonic chip factory in Paterna.
The operation is part of a public-private collaboration between the SETT and Baladre Capital, the patrimonial company of the Gómez-Trénor family. Both entities will co-invest a total of 50 million euros in the first phase of the project, in which the public entity will control 49% of the capital and Baladre Capital 51%. The plan also includes a second phase with an additional investment of 200 million euros.
The company, incorporated last April, emerges from the singular scientific and technological infrastructure (ICTS) MICRONANOFABS-NTC of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), specializing in the manufacture of photonic chips with over fifteen years of experience in this field. The project aims to transition from research and prototyping to industrial production, with the goal of becoming a European private benchmark under the 'Lab-to-Fab' model, according to ministry sources.
As reported by the Government, Attypics Photonics will offer research, development, prototyping, integration, and manufacturing services for integrated photonic circuits for advanced applications. Sectors targeted by these technologies include health, telecommunications, quantum computing, energy, defense, and the aerospace industry.
The first phase of the project will be developed in new facilities featuring 1,240 square meters of cleanrooms. The full development includes the construction of 7,502 square meters of these specialized spaces at its final location in the municipality of Paterna. The plant will be equipped to work with 200 and 300 millimeter wafers, one of the standards used in the international semiconductor industry.
The projection is that this initial stage will generate around 100 highly qualified direct jobs. Once the second phase is completed, the figure will exceed 300 direct jobs, in addition to the indirect impact associated with industrial and technological activity.
The investment is part of the Perte Chip, the state program designed to strengthen Spain's industrial capabilities in semiconductors and strategic technologies. The Executive highlights that Attypics Photonics will be a unique initiative nationally, combining research, development, and industrial production capabilities, as well as incorporating emerging materials considered the next technological generation of photonic semiconductors.
The authorization from the Council of Ministers provides a boost to a project that came to light just a few weeks ago. Álvaro Gómez-Trénor established Attypics Photonics in April as a company specializing in semiconductors and photonic chips, as well as technical and scientific consulting services. The company's sole shareholder is Baladre Capital, the investment vehicle of the Gómez-Trénor family, with the businessman himself serving as sole administrator.
The launch of Attypics Photonics occurs at a time when the Valencian Community seeks to strengthen its position in the semiconductor industry. In recent years, the Valencian ecosystem has seen several projects linked to the PERTE Chip and integrated photonics, an area where the UPV has become one of the country's leading research hubs. The future factory in Paterna now aims to transfer some of this scientific knowledge to the industrial and production sector.
It is worth noting that the construction of the future pilot plant for photonic chips, located in the industrial area of L’Eliana and part of PIXEurope, is about to begin. This initiative was selected by the European Joint Undertaking for Micro and Nano Electronic Components and Systems (ECSEL JU) within the "Chips for Europe" program and is linked in Spain to the Perte Chip and the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan.
Led by the UPVfab laboratory and the iTEAM institute of the UPV, the project is coordinated by Pascual Muñoz and José Capmany and aims to facilitate the transition from research to pre-industrial manufacturing. The objective is for technology companies, SMEs, and new ventures to validate and test photonic chip designs in European facilities without relying on centers located outside the continent.
