PRESENTATION

No Materials - No Photonics: Circular Germanium in a VUCA World

In a world defined by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA), access to critical materials has become a strategic concern for the photonics industry. As photonics continues to underpin global communication, sensing, and digital infrastructure, its growth is increasingly constrained not by innovation, but by the fragility of its material supply chains.

For decades, Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) has been the foundation of high-performance photonic devices. Yet its dependence on gallium - of which approximately 98-99% of global supply originates from China - creates a structural vulnerability. Recent export controls have underscored a critical reality: GaAs is no longer just a materials platform, but a geopolitical dependency and a potential single point of failure in the photonics value chain.

At the same time, there are more and more developments exploring the use of Ge substrates for photonic applications, due to it’s compatibility with CMOS fabs, possibility of selective substrate removal and dislocation free surface. Overall market demand for Germanium (Ge) is accelerating, driven by its unique role in infrared optics, fibre optics, silicon photonics and advanced semiconductor integration. However, Ge supply is also constrained, raising the question of how to scale its use without replicating the same linear, high-risk supply model.

This talk explores how these challenges can be reframed through circularity. Umicore is developing a closed-loop approach to germanium, combining advanced recycling with the production of high-quality, reusable Ge substrates. By enabling multiple life cycles for the same material - while meeting the stringent requirements of photonic applications - this model transforms Ge from a consumable resource into a regenerative platform.

Such an approach offers more than sustainability benefits. It provides a pathway to reduce geopolitical exposure, stabilize supply, and decouple industry growth from primary resource extraction. In doing so, it challenges a fundamental assumption: that performance and circularity are mutually exclusive. In a VUCA world, resilience is becoming as critical as innovation. The ability to close material loops may ultimately determine not only the sustainability of photonics, but its strategic autonomy.