20141022 pilot photonics_case study_dr. frank smith
DESCRIPTION
Pilot Photonics Ltd is a privately held company offering unique optical comb source subsystems that will be a key enabler for the next generation of high density optical networking transmission solutions. With its patent pending technology, Pilot Photonics delivers robust and cost-effective optical comb sources, which emit highly stable, low line-width, phase-matched wavelength combs suitable for multicarrier optical transmission systems including coherent optical OFDM, Coherent WDM and Nyquist WDM.TRANSCRIPT
Frank Smyth
Founder & CEO
Strong Business Plan
Grant writing
Reviewer for EU
Excellence = The Science Section
Relation to the Work Programme is CRITICAL
Concept & Approach – detailed science or high technology
Academic References if possible
Impact = Impact for Europe
Sprinkle liberally with:
European competitiveness
Jobs for Europe
Growth of European economy
“Disruptive”, “Innovative”, “game-changing”
Implementation = Implementation
Know what they want to fund with each Phase
[http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/dae/document.cfm?doc_id=4263]
One Workpackage – Several Tasks
Understand H2020 budgets rules – include rough budget
The PICOMB proposal relates to the Open Disruptive Innovation Scheme (implemented
through the SME instrument) - ICT-37-2014-1. It focuses on one of the European
Commission’s Key Enabling Technologies, namely Photonics and has the potential to establish
Europe in a position of Leadership in an Enabling Industrial Technology in the emerging next
generation optical transport market.
The proposal, which seeks to displace single mode lasers that have been employed in long haul
telecoms networks for 20 years closely matches the description in the work programme topic
that states that the “Focus will be on SME proposing innovative ICT concept, product and
service […] which ultimately disrupts existing markets.” In addition the fact that proposed
projects should have the potential for “fast market up-take in ICT” is also well matched by
this project given the interest from leading European telecommunication equipment vendor
Alcatel-Lucent who have written to Pilot Photonics to say that Pilot Photonics’ comb source is
“aligned with Alcatel-Lucent’s interests in future technologies, and hence would be highly
relevant to applications of such.” Finally the objective of the ODI scheme to “Support their
prototyping, validation and demonstration in real world conditions;” is further met by the ALU
letter that states that “Alcatel Lucent is prepared to take up optical frequency comb prototypes
to carry out tests under our application scenarios, based on promising indicators from initial
tests at Pilot Photonics”
