On October 6, 2026, the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI) hosted a delegation from Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (OKI) in Berlin to review ongoing joint research in advanced photonic technologies and map out future development perspectives.
High-Level Delegation Strategy Meets Silicon Photonics
The Berlin meetings brought together key figures from both institutional and industrial sides. OKI was represented by Chief Technology Officer Yoichi Kato and Makoto Masuda, head of the research and development center. On the German side, Fraunhofer HHI Institute Director Prof. Dr. Thomas Wiegand and Norbert Keil, head of photonic components and systems, led the discussions alongside other representatives of the partner institutions.
This dialogue builds upon a long-standing collaboration of the Fraunhofer HHI with Japanese research and industrial partners. These include the Keio University, Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd. (TOK) and Suruga Seiki Co., Ltd.
Engineering the Laser-Doppler-Vibrometermodul
A concrete result of the collaboration is the functional laser-Doppler-Vibrometermodul. The device merges the silicon photonics technology of OKI with the hybrid integration and packaging technologies of the Fraunhofer HHI and shows the potential for more compact, powerful, and energy-efficient optical sensors.
The five-year research agreement signed on December 15, 2025, aims to create a technological foundation for future optical applications. The focus is on the following areas:
- The further development of the laser-Doppler-Vibrometermodul
- New fiber-optic sensor modules for structural monitoring
- High-speed optoelectronic transceivers for communications
- Biomedical photonic sensors
Both technologies are intended to make an important contribution to the edge-platform strategy of OKI.
Berlin Photonics Days and Advanced Hybrid PIC Workshops
The scientific exchange continues at the Photonics Days 2026 on October 7 and 8. Organized by OpTecBB e.V., the event features a keynote address by the CTO of OKI, Yoichi Kato, on hybrid photonic integration.
The collaboration continues on October 8 during a workshop titled “Advances in Hybrid PICs,” organized by PolyPhotonics Berlin e. V. and supported by the Fraunhofer HHI. Crispin Zawadzki of the Fraunhofer HHI leads the full-day workshop, which presents current developments in hybrid photonic integration as well as results of the joint research work of Fraunhofer HHI and OKI.
