Francisco Delgado, Director of Science and Technology at Grupo Oesia: “The INSPIRE project is preparing us to make the big leap from microelectronics to photonics with the support of CDTI”

We face a time of profound changes in the technological sector. After the transition from the analog to the digital world, the industry is now preparing for a new revolution: the leap from traditional microelectronics to photonics, a light-based technology that promises to transform strategic areas such as security, defense and telecommunications. At the forefront of this change is Grupo Oesia, a Spanish multinational with more than 50 years of experience and a team of more than 4,000 professionals.

In this context, INSPIRE is part of a project funded by the CDTI Innovation through the Science and Innovation Missions grants, aimed at promoting collaborative R+D+I projects capable of responding to strategic challenges for society.

“INSPIRE’s goal is to develop advanced photonic technologies to improve the performance of aerospace systems, especially in communications, sensing and signal processing. In particular, it focuses on the development of integrated photonic circuits and the use of new materials such as lithium niobate to create more compact, efficient and high-speed devices," explains Francisco Delgado, Director of Science and Technology at Grupo Oesia.

The project consortium is led by Tecnobit, a subsidiary of Grupo Oesia specialising in defence, security and aerospace, and brings together the companies Multiverse Computing, VLC Photonics and Zepren Solutions, together with four research bodies: the Universitat Politècnica de València, Tecnalia, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the University of Zaragoza.

Specialization and in-house technology: the engine of growth

In recent decades, Grupo Oesia has established itself as a reference in highly specialised technologies thanks to a strategy based on innovation and the development of its own technology. The company works in areas such as photonics, microelectronics, artificial intelligence or quantum technologies, applied to mission critical sectors such as defense, aerospace and telecommunications.

Facilities of the Technological Center of Valdepeñas of the Oesia Group

This specialization is reflected in its participation in some of the main European technological programs, with developments for the Eurofighter, tactical communications systems for naval platforms or the artillery simulator SIMACA, reference in the advanced training of the Armed Forces.

Much of this activity is carried out in the Technological Center of Valdepeñas, currently in the process of expansion to strengthen its industrial capacity. In addition, in 2025 the company created its Department of Science and Technology with the aim of integrating advanced research with product engineering and accelerating the transfer of knowledge towards new technological solutions.

INSPIRE project: microchips of light for the aerospace sector

In this context, INSPIRE emerges, an initiative that seeks to promote a new generation of photonic chips capable of improving the performance of systems used in strategic sectors such as aerospace, telecommunications or defense. To this end, the project develops integrated photonic circuits (ICPs) based on advanced materials such as thin-layer lithium niobate (TFLN), which make it possible to manufacture faster, more compact and efficient devices for communications, sensory and signal processing applications.

Although these technologies have already demonstrated their potential in the field of research, the big challenge now is to accelerate their arrival on the market. "Cutting-edge photonic technologies have passed the purely experimental phase and are in a process of transition from the laboratory to its industrialization," explains Francisco Delgado.

In this context, INSPIRE will work on the validation of the manufacturing processes necessary to facilitate their industrial scaling and accelerate the incorporation of these photonic chips into real applications of high added value.

Practical applications and European technological sovereignty

Integrated photonic circuits (ICPs) allow signals to be transmitted and processed by light instead of electricity, resulting in faster, more compact and more energy-efficient systems. These features make them a key technology for sectors such as aerospace, telecommunications or defense, where it is necessary to manage large volumes of information with maximum precision and reliability.

Beyond its applications, photonics has become a strategic technology to reinforce European industrial autonomy. "Photonics is a strategic technology, comparable to semiconductors, with a direct impact on the technological sovereignty of Europe," explains Francisco Delgado.

In this sense, the director highlights the importance of developing their own technological capabilities: "Having proprietary technology and being able to design and manufacture photonic chips autonomously that can be integrated into different products is critical for our company and it is also critical for the security and defense sector."

The INSPIRE project has been developed by a consortium of partners led by the Oesia Group

With this objective, INSPIRE will contribute to strengthening the capacity of the Spanish and European industry to design and manufacture these components, reducing dependence on external suppliers. To this end, the consortium collaborates with leading technology centres and manufacturers in countries such as Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands, in line with the European strategy to promote its own industry of chips and photonic technologies.

Scientific collaboration and the promotion of the CDTI Innovation

The technological complexity of this project makes it essential to collaborate between companies, universities and research centers. This model allows to combine complementary capabilities and accelerate the transfer of scientific knowledge to industrial applications.

"An example at INSPIRE is the development of a PIC for neuromorphic computing, led by Tecnobit-Grupo Oesia together with the Universitat Politècnica de València, where artificial intelligence and photonics are integrated to design a chip capable of efficiently processing signals through advanced architectures," explains Delgado.
The support of the CDTI Innovation has been equally decisive in tackling a project of this magnitude. According to the Director of Science and Technology, this support allows to accelerate the maturity of developments with a high technological risk and reduce the time needed to bring them to real applications: “Public financial support like CDTI’s allows us to increase the scope of our own investments and go further,” he says.

Looking to the future of disruptive innovation

With a view to the coming years, Grupo Oesia is defining its roadmap through its Strategic Plan 2026-2030, with the aim of consolidating itself as one of the main European benchmarks in dual engineering and as a reference technological partner in high-demand sectors.

In addition to the integrated photonics, the company will continue to promote new lines of research in areas such as advanced avionics, onboard artificial intelligence or secure communications, technologies called to play a decisive role in the critical systems of the future. "All of them are strategic projects for Grupo Oesia. They are long-term bets that have patient financing and high technological risk, and we trust that they will allow us to increase our competitiveness resulting in technology that can be incorporated into our future products and solutions," he concludes.

CDTI Innovation

The Center for Technological Development and Innovation, CDTI E.P.E. It is the innovation agency of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, whose objective is the promotion of technological innovation in the business environment. The mission of the CDTI is to ensure that the Spanish business fabric generates and transforms scientific and technical knowledge into globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive growth. In 2025, within the framework of the Strategic Plan 2024-2027, the CDTI provided 2,423 million euros of support to Spanish companies and startups.

 
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