Lightium relies on Aras Innovator for AI chip development
The Swiss deep-tech company Lightium develops photonic integrated circuits for AI data centers and relies on the PLM platform Aras Innovator. The digital thread from Aras networks data, processes and specialist departments end-to-end. The aim is to achieve scalable, industrial production of photonic chips.
In modern AI data centers, the biggest bottleneck is no longer computing power, but data transmission. The Swiss deep-tech company Lightium has dedicated itself to precisely this problem: It is developing photonic integrated circuits (PICs) that transmit data by light instead of electron flow. To master the growing complexity of its development processes, Lightium relies on the PLM platform Aras Innovator.
Light instead of electrons: the technology behind Lightium
«In modern AI data centers, computing power is no longer the biggest bottleneck, but the transmission of data,» says Amir H. Ghadimi, co-founder and CEO of Lightium. «This is exactly where we come in: With photonic integrated circuits, we can scale performance well beyond today's technologies while significantly reducing energy consumption.»
Lightium was founded in September 2023 and builds on more than six years of research and development work before the company was founded. The start-up offers foundry services for photonic chips based on 200 mm manufacturing processes. According to the company, the technology reduces energy consumption by more than 30 percent compared to conventional solutions. Current systems achieve transfer rates of up to 800 Gbit/s, with the next generation aiming for 1.6 Tbit/s - Lightium is working on enabling speeds of over 6 Tbit/s in the coming years.
PLM without established standards: Flexibility is the key
As technological ambition increases, so does the complexity of development processes and the need for a consistent data structure and traceability. «In photonics - unlike in electronics or mechanical engineering - there are still no established PLM standards and hardly any ready-made integrations, as development moves between software-driven working methods and classic hardware or industrial processes,» explains Kevin Radican, Head of Data at Lightium. «We therefore had to choose a platform that could really be adapted to our requirements.»
The choice fell on Aras Innovator, a low-code PLM platform that offers precisely this flexibility. With the help of the platform, development data, simulations and design processes are to be networked across the board at Lightium in future. A powerful back-end architecture is used to manage parts lists, component data and projects, while individual front-ends for photonics-specific workflows can be developed at the same time. Implementation is carried out internally, with Lightium also relying on AI-supported approaches to further optimize its development processes.
Digital thread as the basis for scaling
End-to-end lifecycle management is a key prerequisite for scaling and industrialization. With the Digital Thread, Aras Innovator enables the networking of data, processes and specialist departments throughout the entire company. Seamless traceability of data is crucial - especially for yield management in photonic production.
«Companies like Lightium are exemplary for a new generation of high-tech companies that operate in highly complex and dynamic technology fields,» says Matthias Fohrer, Vice President EMEA at Aras. «Especially in such environments, a flexible platform is crucial for connecting data, processes and disciplines and driving innovation.»
Source: www.aras.com
