FOCUS ON RESEARCH Image: Bystronic


The Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton is one of the world’s leading institutes for photonics and laser science. Home to over 300 researchers and world-class cleanrooms, the ORC bridges discovery and application across


communications, manufacturing, healthcare and defence. Its pioneering work in optical fibres, high-power lasers and intelligent light technologies is transforming global industry and powering the next generation of photonic innovation.


orc@soton.ac.uk orc.soton.ac.uk


SMART FIBRE OPTIC HIGH-POWER PHOTONICS (HIPPO)


A long-standing collaboration between the ORC and TRUMPF UK, the Advanced Laser Laboratory develops disruptive technologies for industrial fibre lasers. The lab explores new architectures for brightness scaling, pulsed-source optimisation and agile beam delivery. Its results feed directly into TRUMPF’s next-generation manufacturing systems, turning advanced laser-physics research into robust, high-efficiency platforms deployed worldwide in automotive, aerospace and precision-machining sectors.


SILICA FIBRE


The £6.5 million EPSRC-funded HiPPo programme at the ORC is redefining how high-power fibre lasers are controlled and combined.


FABRICATION AND NOVEL MATERIALS


The ORC is the birthplace of optical- fibre innovation. Its silica-fibre facilities continue to pioneer new


LASER USER 118 DECEMBER 2025 | 17


The team is creating “smart” fibre lasers that automatically adapt beam shape, wavelength and coherence in real time. By merging advanced fibre design, beam combination and AI control, HiPPo aims to revolutionise manufacturing, delivering reconfigurable, resilient and power-efficient laser tools for precision industrial processes and future net-zero production.


ADVANCED LASER LABORATORY WITH TRUMPF UK


glass compositions and structures using advanced Modified Chemical Vapour Deposition (MCVD) and fibre- drawing techniques.


Researchers are developing hollow-core, doped and radiation- hard fibres for demanding environments, from deep-sea sensing to fusion and space. These breakthroughs underpin advances in communications, energy and metrology, reinforcing the UK’s leadership in optical materials and photonic manufacturing.


INDUSTRY


PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMERCIAL IMPACT


The ORC has generated more than 13 spin-out companies, forming the UK’s photonics “Light Valley” around Southampton. Companies such as Fibercore, Covesion, and Lumenisity trace their origins to the Centre, translating research into commercial success.


By bridging fundamental research and industrial application, the ORC drives innovation from fibre science to factory floor, securing the UK’s global competitiveness and shaping the future of photonic manufacturing.


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