Smart Nano Industrial Photonics Bootcamp

Digital Catapult, in collaboration with the Smart Nano NI consortium is delivering the Smart Nano Photonics Bootcamp. The Bootcamp is a programme of up to five days – 1 day of seminars, 2 days of training and 2 optional site visits – delivered from the UK Digital Twin Centre in Belfast. 

Photonics is a rapidly expanding UK sector worth £18.5bn annually and employing over 85,000 people, with major opportunities emerging across sensing, communications, data infrastructure, AI, quantum technologies, and life science applications. However, skills shortages and limited access to specialist infrastructure continue to restrict growth. 

This Bootcamp accelerates photonics capability across Northern Ireland by giving innovators practical, hands-on experience in designing, simulating, and validating photonic devices and photonic integrated circuits (PICs). Through expert-led workshops, participants will gain an end-to-end understanding of the photonics development lifecycle—ideal for teams entering the field or strengthening existing expertise. 

Across  5  days in June, attendees will take part in practical training covering: 

• Two days of training in photonics component and system design and simulation for the major classes of components using industry standard software, Ansys Lumerical. 

• Device modelling, simulation and physical test and design for test methodologies delivered by Seagate and Yelo 

• Nanophotonics, plasmonics, and systems integration approaches with Causeway Sensors 

• An introduction to the Smart Nano Lab and the early stage prototyping process, seeing how designs move from concept to prototype and gaining insight into the workflows that enable rapid iteration, physical validation, and accelerated product development. 

By joining the Bootcamp, participants will engage directly with Smart Nano NI partners and NI-PIC, Northern Ireland’s Photonics Innovation Cluster, gaining access to a rapidly growing ecosystem committed to developing advanced manufacturing and next generation photonics capabilities. 

 Smart Nano NI is a Northern Ireland consortium collaborating to develop game-changing advanced prototyping and smart manufacturing methods to deliver new technologies driving self-sustaining local industry and economic growth through research and innovation. This program aims to integrate cutting-edge technologies like 5G, Photonics, AI to create a sustainable and digitally advanced manufacturing ecosystem. By focusing on innovation, the program empowers regional industries, including manufacturing and healthcare, to remain globally competitive.

Established UK registered startups or SMEs that can clearly identify a need for upskilling in Photonics that can contribute to solving a business needs or challenges that they are willing to identify within their organisation. 

This programme is designed for organisations and professionals who are developing, integrating, or exploring the use of photonic devices and photonic integrated circuits (PICs). Ideal applicants include: 

• Startups, scaleups, and SMEs developing or considering photonic devices or PIC based technologies

Teams building or considering early stage photonic components, sensing solutions, or integrated photonic products who want to strengthen their design, simulation, and validation capabilities. 

• Systems integrators and electronics manufacturers considering incorporating photonics

CEMS providers, electronics fabricators, and design engineering services working or planning to work with optical components, sensors, or PIC enabled subsystems and seeking to expand capability in photonics workflows. 

• Semiconductor and IC developers exploring PICs

Organisations with experience in traditional semiconductor or integrated circuit development looking to understand PIC architectures, design principles, and emerging photonic manufacturing routes. 

• Engineers, technicians, and technical leads

Professionals in electronics, optics, manufacturing, or communications who want to upskill into integrated photonics and develop hands-on experience with industry standard tools. 

• Product developers and R&D teams

Teams evaluating how photonics may be applied to future products in sensing, imaging, communications, computing, or quantum enabled systems. 

• SMEs operatingin photonics enabled and adjacent advanced tech sectors 

Including sensing & IoT, autonomous systems, quantum, AI hardware, semiconductor supply chains, and optical communications. 

Applicants must be eligible to receive up to £1,800 in State Assistance per participating employee. 

Part of the programme involves two days in person training in photonics design and simulation using an industry standard multi-physics simulation platform. Some exposure to simulation packages and simulation approaches in photonics, optics, electronics or RF engineering would be helpful here, but isn’t necessarily critical. 

If your application is successful, you will be notified by email by close of business Tuesday 26th May and will need to complete signing the programme participation agreement the following week. An Onboarding Pack will also be sent to you prior to the first day of the programme. 

There are 4 criteria upon which applicants will be assessed with the following weightings:   

1. Technical and Business Capability – 30% weighting 

• This looks at how past experience, current role, or technical exposure relate to photonics or adjacent fields and will benefit participants during the programme. You do not need to be an expert — the programme is designed for a range of experience levels. 

• The aim is to ensure that participants will be able to benefit from the training and meaningfully engage with the technical content. Even beginners can score well if they show a genuine connection to the subject (e.g., engineering, manufacturing, design, or digital technologies). 

2. Motivation and Intent – 30% weighting 

• Your reasons for applying and what you hope to gain from the bootcamp. 

• The programme is most effective when participants have specific interests, challenges, or goals that the bootcamp can meaningfully support. This helps organisers tailor the learning experience and ensures places go to those who will actively engage. 

3. Industry Relevance – 30% weighting 

• The potential to apply the knowledge or skills gained — whether in industry, research, product development, operations, or broader innovation activities. 

• The programme is funded to support capability growth in the region, so reviewers look for participants who will go on to apply photonics knowledge in ways that benefit their organisation, the wider sector, or the Northern Ireland innovation ecosystem. 

4. Ecosystem Engagement – 10% weighting 

• The Applicant’s willingness to actively participate in the bootcamp and engage with the Smart Nano consortium and Northern Ireland photonics ecosystem — before, during, and after the programme. 

• The training is hands‑on, collaborative and targeted to engage and connect potential participants in Northern Ireland’s photonics ecosystem. It is important that participants: 

• Attend the group sessions, 

• Contribute to discussions and group work, and 

• Are open to future engagement with partners, networks, or opportunities. 

The application information will be used by Digital Catapult in compliance with GDPR regulations. It will only be used for the purposes of the programme and its evaluation and will be securely retained by Digital Catapult only for the duration of the programme. 

The programme has been made possible by the Smart Nano NI consortium, which has been awarded £42.4m UK Research and Innovation’s Strength in Places Fund. The total project value including leveraged funding from other sources is £63.9m. 

No, there is no funding provided. Participation in the programme is fully funded with no cost to participants.  

The programme will be delivered mainly from the UK Digital Twin Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

Location: Digital Catapult, 6th floor, 8 Lanyon Place, Belfast, BT1 3LP 

Remote/online attendance for talks is acceptable, though we do encourage in-person attendance to get the most benefit. 

If availing of the two days of Design and Simulation training, in person attendance is required. 

An optional site visit and tour of the Smart Nano Lab at Queens University Belfast is also offered. 

Location: School of Mathematics and Physics, Main Physics Building , University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN 

No, unfortunately the terms of our funding dictate that we are unable to support travel and subsistence for participants.   

Education: Acts as a training opportunity for local businesses, providing a direct entry into photonic integration   

Collaboration: Group sessions promote collaboration between companies    

Consortium and Ecosystem Engagement: Opportunities for direct engagement and introductions to the Smart Nano Consortium and the Northern Ireland Photonics Innovation Cluster (NI-PIC) 

Hands on Training with Industry Standard Tools  
A fully funded opportunity to gain valuable practical experience in photonic device design and simulation using Ansys Lumerical, with extended access to the software beyond the programme for further learning and evaluation.  

Build High Demand Photonics Skills  
Opportunity to develop foundational capability in integrated photonics, PICs, device modelling, and physical validation — skills increasingly sought across manufacturing, healthcare, AI hardware, quantum, and IoT sectors.  

Learn Directly from Leading Experts  
Receive in person instruction from Digital Catapult specialists and Smart Nano NI consortium partners including Seagate, Yelo, and Causeway Sensors.  

Accelerate Product Innovation  
Understand how photonic technologies can unlock new commercial opportunities and learn how to turn concepts into prototypes through exposure to Smart Nano Lab’s early stage prototyping process.  

Connect with Northern Ireland’s Photonics Ecosystem  
Engage directly with Smart Nano NI and join NIPIC, accessing a rapidly growing network of companies, researchers, and innovators in advanced manufacturing and photonics.  

Strengthen Future Competitiveness 
Equip your team with emerging tech capabilities that may support strategic growth, diversification, and readiness for the evolving global innovation landscape.