It is the occasion for FEMTOprint SA to come closer to its partners in the region and to expand its microfabrication offer for photonics and micro-optics applications, while reinforcing its collaborations and partnerships within the Microcity’s excellency hub.
With the strategic launch of its new Business Unit in Neuchâtel (Switzerland), at the heart of the Swiss pole for innovation, where photonics, micro-optics, precision mechanics, watchmaking, and medical device manufacturing come together, the company opens its first specialized unit to strengthen its offer in a wide range of customer segments and empower cutting edge high-precision micromachining in glass for photonics and micro-optics applications. These latter domains are currently going through a very exciting transformation, where processes and technologies are being miniaturized to come-up with disruptive products, while increasing throughput and reducing costs. Within this fast-evolving scenario, also called “the photonics and micro-optics revolution”, FEMTOprint, as a pioneer and market leading company in high-precision 3D printing for glass micro-devices, will continue investing in technology to support its customers with specialized know-how along the entire product development phase. The new Business Unit in Neuchâtel will have the initial role to drive the further expansion of the FEMTOPRINT® microfabrication platform to fulfill the high-quality standards required by photonics and micro-optics applications, and to support with highly specialized engineering expertise the services offered to the customers. The manufacturing facility, located at the headquarter in Muzzano (Switzerland), will accompany the expansion of FEMTOPRINT® in the photonics industry with its proven industrial fabrication capabilities and broad R&D activities.
"Thanks to the local presence, the important investments in technology and the competencies of Dr. Rolando Ferrini, FEMTOprint will intensify the collaborations and synergies with partners and customers in the region, especially offering faster support, greater know-how and shortening the product development time.”, says Nicoletta Casanova, CEO and President of FEMTOprint, adding “Our goal is to continue to drive innovation with agile development and microfabrication solutions, which enable our customers to be disruptive on their specialized markets and us to meet customers’ high expectations".
With his important background in physics and his deep knowledge of the photonics and micro-/nano-optics industry, Dr. Ferrini will contribute massively to the development of the Photonics Business Unit of FEMTOprint. “I was always impressed by the innovative FEMTOPRINT® technology and could appreciate in several contexts the innovation and high-quality standards of the company. Having the opportunity to support the continuous development and growth of FEMTOprint, reinforcing the collaboration with customers and research partners at national and international level, will be an exciting challenge”, declares Dr. Rolando Ferrini, Head of the newborn Photonics Business Unit. He adds: “The glass 3D microfabrication of (free-form) micro-optics and micro-lens arrays as well as of components for photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and packaging will be only part of the increased offer of FEMTOprint, which I will help to develop further”.
FEMTOprint is a well-established entity on the national and international scene and best known for its highly qualitative and reliable services, from product development to rapid prototyping, up to wafer-scale, industrial series manufacturing. The customer portfolio is well distributed among global, leading organizations, SMEs, young, talented start-ups, and researchers. Microcity, the innovation hub of Neuchâtel, is the ideal location to expand its consultancy and engineering activities.“Microcity is honored to host the new subsidiary of FEMTOprint SA in our vibrant ecosystem and hub, where synergies are created and meeting moments for creative minds are stimulated”, says Fabian Käser, Responsible SME Program at Microcity SA, Neuchâtel.
The division will be officially operational starting from February 1st, 2022.
Rolando Ferrini (Group Leader MicroNano Optics & Head of the Focus Area Photonics at CSEM and Managing Director of the PHABULOuS Pilot Line) joined CSEM in 2011, where he is Group Leader MicroNano Optics at CSEM Center Muttenz and Head of the CSEM Focus Area Photonics. Since 2020 he coordinates the H2020 project PHABULOuS and acts as Managing Director of the corresponding pilot line for the manufacturing of freeform micro-optical components. In 1999, he obtained his PhD degree in Physics at the Università degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy, with a thesis on the optical properties of III-V semiconductor materials for electronics and optoelectronics. From 2000 to 2004, he worked as Research Associate at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland, where he studied the optical properties of semiconductor-based photonic crystal devices. From 2004 to 2011, as Senior Research Associate at EPFL, he was in charge of the activities on organic devices for optics, photonics and lighting.
