atlanTTic, a partner in the European photonic project RETINA

The University of Vigo’s Research Centre for Telecommunication Technologies (atlanTTic), a member of the CIGUS Network, an initiative launched by the regional government (Xunta de Galicia) that groups together centres of accredited scientific excellence within the Galician university system, is one of 13 partners participating in the European project RETINA, whose aim is to develop two sensors using photonic technologies in order to improve processes in the healthcare, automotive and agricultural sectors.

This four-year project, which got underway last December, has a budget of 6.2 million euros and is coordinated by the AIMEN Technology Centre. The consortium is made up of academic partners, SMEs and key actors from seven EU countries: four RTOs (the Metallurgic Research Association of Northwest Spain, the IMEC in Belgium, the University of Vigo and the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz Institute in Germany); one large corporation (Quest Medical Imaging B.V in the Netherlands); five SMEs (Photonfocus AG in Switzerland, Aeromedia Uav, SL and Abraia Software, SL in Spain, Xenomatix in Belgium, and Tematys in France); two business associations (Associação para o Desenvolvimento da Viticultura Duriense in Portugal, and the European Photonics Industry Consortium in Belgium); and one hospital (the Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands).

RETINA’s objectives are to develop an innovative and highly scalable PIC-based LiDAR concept; to develop instantaneous spectral image generators for cost-effective, high-resolution sensing systems; to establish innovative software techniques and services for the deployment of a reliable and accurate application-based sensing platform; and to support the technological leadership of the EU photonics ecosystem by driving growth in strategic industries.