FULL SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT
What sets PhotonFirst apart
Proven track record in harsh environments, not just the lab
We don’t stop at “optically aligned and sealed”. Numerous unique PIC packages were designed for aerospace, rail, offshore and wind – with harsh environmental requirements (shock, vibration, EMI, temperature, humidity) built in from day one.
Interrogators as proof of system integration capabilities
Most packagers show fixtures; we show flight‑ready interrogators. The same team that packages your PIC also designs and qualifies our own PIC‑based interrogators for aerospace and defense, proving we understand the full system – optics, mechanics, electronics and software.
From prototypes to modules ready for <€1k/unit volumes
We use Design For Manufacturing (DFM) methodologies with a continuous focus towards scaling of your product volumes. The path from your first proof of concept package and low volume production to high volume OEM integration uses the same design principles, process controls and cleanroom line – with no need for new suppliers or redesign.
Co‑development instead of black‑box manufacturing
We don’t just “take a drawing and build a box”, we take care of a complete (custom) package development. We work with your engineers on PIC design rules, thermal and mechanical constraints, and qualification plans – translating your system requirements into PIC, package and test specifications:
- Option A: Your package is developed to your spec with our industrialization know-how, ensuring it fits the exact application
- Option B: Choose from a wide range of standard packages for a quick start
Bringing 20 years of legacy
PhotonFirst brings 20 years of integrated photonics sensing experience to every package we build. That heritage began in 2006, when our predecessor, Technobis Fiber Technologies, started developing chip-based fiber optic sensing under founder Pim Kat.
In January 2021, this technology and team became an independent company: PhotonFirst. Since then, we’ve continued the same mission: turning light into precise, reliable data on temperature, strain, pressure and shape, for customers in aerospace, defense, energy, infrastructure and high-tech equipment.
PIC packaging grew out of this history, not the other way around. For two decades, we’ve designed, qualified and manufactured our own interrogators for demanding applications. The same standards, processes and lessons learned carry over directly into every PIC package we build for you.
From ecosystem to qualified packaging
PhotonFirst doesn’t work alone. We’re part, among others, of PhotonDelta, PhotonicsNL and the Netherlands Aerospace Group. That doesn’t stay abstract. It shapes what we can deliver. Our own interrogators are already MIL-STD and DO-160G qualified, and PhotonFirst holds ISO 9001 certification for quality management.
That combination, an established photonics ecosystem behind us and a track record of harsh-environment qualification in front of us, is what lets us package PICs for aerospace, defense and energy applications with confidence. It’s the same reason customers come to us for harsh-environment PIC packaging: not a general capability, but one built on 20 years of doing exactly this.
Office Located
Pyrietstraat 2a,
1812 SC Alkmaar
The Netherlands