Sparc

Sparc Foundry, established in 2022 and headquartered in Vigo, Spain, is positioning itself as a key player in the European semiconductor landscape. The company operates as a pure-play foundry, specializing in the development and production of III-V photonic semiconductors. This initiative, born from extensive research and dedication by a team with a background in integrated photonics, aims to address the continent's strategic need for technological sovereignty in this critical sector. The project is led by CEO Professor Francisco J. Diaz Otero.

The firm's core business revolves around manufacturing Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) wafers and discrete components from III-V materials, including Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), Indium Phosphide (InP), and Gallium Nitride (GaN). These materials are crucial for creating compact and efficient light sources and detectors across a wide wavelength range, enabling advanced applications. Sparc's business model caters to clients with deep process knowledge, functioning as a "one-stop-shop" for bringing certified photonic products to market. The company will offer direct production for specialist clients and multi-project wafer services, which involves producing chips for several companies on a single wafer.

Sparc serves a diverse and high-tech client base across sectors such as telecommunications, automotive, quantum computing, aerospace, defense, medicine, and consumer electronics. By providing the foundational components for these industries, the company aims to reduce time-to-market for its customers. Significant financial backing underscores the project's strategic importance, including a €17.2 million investment from the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation (SETT) under the PERTE Chip initiative. Furthermore, Spanish technology and defense group Indra has become the majority shareholder with a 37% stake, providing industrial partnership and guaranteeing a supply of critical components for its own applications, like AESA radars.

The company is developing a state-of-the-art facility in the Valadares Technology Park in Vigo, which will include a 1,600 m² cleanroom. Construction is set to begin in late 2025, with the foundry expected to be fully operational in the second half of 2027. The plant is projected to have an annual production capacity of 20,000 wafers. Beyond manufacturing, the project includes the establishment of a technology transfer center and a training facility, aiming to create a technological hub that will generate approximately 200 direct and 550 indirect highly skilled jobs.

Keywords: photonic semiconductors, III-V materials, pure-play foundry, Gallium Nitride (GaN), Indium Phosphide (InP), Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC), semiconductor manufacturing, European Chips Act, Vigo technology hub, optical communications, quantum computing components, defense electronics, automotive sensors, aerospace components, medical technology chips, Indra Group, PERTE Chip, Francisco J. Diaz Otero, wafer fabrication, semiconductor sovereignty