Article 17 section 1 MAR - confidential information

Management Board of VIGO Photonics S.A. ("Company", "Issuer") informs that yesterday it received information about the signing of an agreement by the National Center for Research and Development with the Company for co-financing the Issuer's project entitled “Integrated photonics systems for free-space optical communication (FSOC) systems.” ("Project") under Priority I of the European Funds for a Modern Economy 2021-2027 Program (FENG). 

The Issuer announced the inclusion on the list of entities recommended for co-financing in current report No. 29/2024 of November 28, 2024.

The project will be implemented by a scientific and industrial consortium led by VIGO Photonics. The consortium members are the Warsaw University of Technology (Institute of Microelectronics and Optoelectronics and the Center for Advanced Materials and Technologies CEZAMAT) and the Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics of the Łukasiewicz Research Network.

The total amount of eligible costs of the Project is PLN 25,000,187.50, and the amount of funding is PLN 21,451,628.08, which constitutes 85.81% of the total costs eligible for support. The Issuer's eligible costs amount to PLN 12,500,187.50, and the co-financing for the Company amounts to PLN 8,951,628.08.

The duration of the Project and the funding is 36 months. Project implementation will start on January 1, 2025.

The main goal of the project is to develop and comprehensively research new qualitative solutions for free space optical communication (FSOC) systems, based on integrated photonics solutions. As part of the implementation of industrial research and development work, it is assumed that the design and production of integrated, multi-channel transmitting and receiving systems, equipped with control electronics systems, optical systems for beam forming and positioning systems. It is assumed that technology demonstrators will be developed - free-space communication systems operating in various spectral ranges, i.e. the classic near-infrared (NIR) range for fiber-optic telecommunications, corresponding to a wavelength of 1550 nm, and in the mid-infrared (MIR) range, which is much more attractive for free-space communication covering two subbands - 4-6 μm and 8-12 μm. The scope of the project includes in particular the design, production and testing of integrated multi-channel transmitting and receiving systems for the FSOC system in the NIR and MIR range. The work planned in the project will enable the development of PIC-compatible QCL lasers and detectors with operating frequencies above 2.5 GHz, as well as prototype ICL laser systems, not yet produced in Poland.

Project funding supports the development of one of the product lines based on scalable technologies developed as part of the HyperPIC project. The Issuer announced the acquisition of the HyperPIC project in current report no. 17/2024 of May 15, 2024.

Each solution intended for customers has a unique application, which determines its design and functional assumptions. By their nature, their development and improvement takes place independently of the investment part, which involves significant additional financial outlays. The funds obtained as part of application projects (including the Project) support the implementation of activities related to the development of individual products.

The HyperPIC project, implemented by VIGO Photonics, focuses on developing a complete technology chain for mid-infrared photonic integrated circuits (mid-IR PICs) and launching the first factory (technology foundry) ensuring the possibility of producing these systems on a mass scale.

Taking into account the value of the subsidy obtained, the Issuer estimates that it will be of significant importance from the point of view of the financial situation, implementation of the strategy and development prospects of the Issuer. The implementation of the Project is a continuation of the implementation of the assumptions of the Company's Strategy for 2021–2026, which the Issuer informed about in current report No. 12/2021 on June 16, 2021.