OKI and Fraunhofer HHI Team Up for Photonic Tech
In front of the Fraunhofer HHI headquarters during the visit: Yoichi Kato, Senior Vice President of OKI (left), and Prof. Martin Schell, Executive Director of Fraunhofer HHI (right) | © HHI
Berlin's Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (Fraunhofer HHI) has signed a major five-year research partnership with Japanese tech manufacturer OKI Electric Industry Co., Ltd. The collaboration will focus on developing ultra-compact, energy-efficient photonic technologies for optical sensing and high-speed communication.
According to Fraunhofer HHI's press release, the partnership combines OKI's expertise in silicon photonics with the Berlin institute's hybrid photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technologies. Together, they'll create miniaturized devices aimed at solving real-world challenges in infrastructure monitoring, healthcare, and growing internet data demands.
The planned developments include laser vibrometers for detecting structural issues in bridges, tunnels, and manufacturing facilities through non-contact vibration measurement. Fiber optic sensors will monitor mechanical strain in critical infrastructure, aircraft, and rockets. The teams also plan to develop compact optical biosensors for cost-effective sample testing and ultra-compact optical transceivers capable of handling communication speeds of 100 Gbps and above.
To support the collaboration, OKI will send researchers to Fraunhofer HHI's Berlin facilities. The partnership aligns with OKI's Technology Strategy announced in 2023, which emphasizes photonic technology as core to their Edge Platform concept for addressing social challenges.
"We are proud to be selected as an R&D Partner by a company as reputable and technologically excellent as OKI," said Prof. Martin Schell, Executive Director of Fraunhofer HHI.
The partners aim to commercialize their ultra-compact laser vibrometers, fiber optic sensors, optical biosensors, and energy-efficient optical communication transceivers starting in 2027. The initiative showcases Berlin's growing position as a hub for cutting-edge photonics research and international collaboration.
OKI established the OKI Berlin Lab research and development center in Berlin in June 2025.
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