World-Renowed Expertise

A dynamic, attractive ecosystem

The ALPHA – Route des Lasers & des Hyperfréquences cluster facilitates the research/training/industrial ecosystem in the fields of photonics and microwaves in Nouvelle-Aquitaine: research centers, technology transfer centers, and training centers: universities, companies (start-ups, very small businesses, SMEs, groups), in large-scale innovative projects.

World-renowned laboratories of excellence and training centers for initial and continuing education 

With high-level universities spread across the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, the ALPHA-RLH cluster’s activity uses excellent teaching and strong research capacities, with some 111,000 students and 6,000 researcher/lecturers and researchers.

The cluster promotes the sharing of scientific knowledge and high-level experimental methods.

The main actors:

• The universities of Bordeaux, Limoges, Poitiers, Pau, Pays de l’Adour and La Rochelle,
• Research bodies CNRS, CEA, INRIA and their associated mixed research units (CELIA, IMS, LOMA, LP2N, LCTS PPRIME, SPCTS, XLIM, etc.), the Lasers et Plasmas Institute (ILP), HAVAE, CeReS, etc.
• The XLIM/SPCTS Labex (Sigma-Lim) in Limoges (specific ceramic materials and components, communicating and embedded, secure, smart systems) and the world-class LAPHIA Center of Excellence for laser sciences and technologies  in Bordeaux, in direct link with the cluster’s themes, bringing together more than 570 high-level researchers
• Engineering schools Bordeaux INP, Institut d’Optique Graduate School, ENSAM, ENSIL, ESTIA, etc.
• The continuing education center, PYLA, in Bordeaux, offers over 40 training courses in various themes relating to lasers, optics, photonics, and their applications.

Technological resource centers 

These centers act as an interface between the industrial world and that of research, performing technological services (analyses, trials, studies, etc.).

The main actors:

• The ALPhANOV Technological Center supports industrial innovation with its expertise in optics and lasers
• CISTEME, Innovation and Technology Transfer Center, is specialized in antenna systems, wireless and ultra-wideband networks
• CTTC, RESCOLL-CRITT, etc.

Industry leaders and innovative companies 

The ALPHA – Route des Lasers & des Hyperfréquences cluster has 262 members, 185 of which are companies, with 89 start-ups created and 45 companies which have established themselves in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, representing 2,400 direct jobs.

The main actors:

Among the Nouvelle-Aquitaine members of the ALPHA – Route des Lasers & des Hyperfréquences cluster, are industrial leaders and large international purchasers the likes of, THALES groups (microwaves, communication and aerospace and defense), DASSAULT AVIATION, Airbus Safran Launchers, SAFRAN-HERAKLES and SAFRAN-TURBOMECA, Photonis, ALCEN, CNIM, NEXEYA, LEGRAND (autonomy and smart buildings), as well as CEA sites (CEA-CESTA Le Barp for photonics-lasers with Laser Mégajoule (LMJ) set up at the end of 2014, and CEA Gramat for microwaves), etc.

The cluster has created a breeding ground for the creation of start-ups (AirMems, AMCAD Engineering, Leukos, Novae, Irisiome, Spark Lasers, Femto Easy, Poietis, etc.) which are gradually becoming actors of major collaborative projects, by working with project developers, the link with structures providing support, funding, and contact with potential technological partners.