This year’s APE (4-6 February) is at Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Singapore. The three-day conference and exhibition will host more than 350 exhibitors, from 17 countries and regions and expects to welcome 6,000 guests from 50 countries.
“The convergence of photonics and semiconductors is becoming a defining shift for the industry, particularly as AI and high-performance computing place new demands on data movement, energy efficiency and system integration. As photonics moves from research into industrial deployment, the ability to build strong partnerships across technology, manufacturing and talent will be critical,” said Ang Wee Seng, executive director of Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA).
“Photonics is where computing, connectivity and AI engage,” he said in a keynote, adding that Singapore has a local ecosystem with a global outreach.
Photonics for HPC and AI as well as telecom and datacom, is not intended to replace but to complement silicon, he continued, adding that a five-fold increase in photonics is expected in the next decade and that the market is projected to be worth $40bn by that time. Keys to this growth, he said, will be co-packaging of optics and the ecosystem challenge for integrated photonics.
Ang ended his keynote by revealing a secret to the audience: he delivered his keynote using a teleprompt in the glasses he was wearing.
Another keynote was presented by Dr Patrick Lo Guo-Qiang, senior fellow, technology development, GlobalFoundries. He was formerly CTO, Advanced Micro Foundry, a part of GlobalFoundries. His address was entitled ‘Integrated Photonics as Singapore’s Next Engine of Semiconductor Innovation’ and highlighted the evolution of photonics and its role in enabling next-generation semiconductor technologies.
Forums and conferences that will take place during APE 2026 include those organised in collaboration with SSIA, the LUX Photonics Consortium and other partners, discussing topics including photonics, semiconductors, quantum technology and machine vision.
This year there will be dedicated zones highlighting quantum technologies, vacuum coating, infrared night vision devices, optical components and lenses.
A new addition to this year’s event is the Photonics x Semiconductor Innovation Zone, supported by Enterprise Singapore, LUX Photonics Consortium and SSIA. This area brings together companies and technologies “at the intersection of photonics and semiconductor innovation” to showcase the emerging, cross-sector applications and collaboration opportunities.
