Session 1: Architecting AI Infrastructure: The Hyperscaler and Compute Platform Perspective

As AI systems scale to unprecedented size, the relationship between compute and networking is being fundamentally redefined. This opening session brings together leading hyperscalers and compute platform providers to explore how future AI infrastructure is evolving across scale-up, scale-out and scale-across domains; where optical connectivity is becoming essential; and what the photonics ecosystem must deliver to support the next generation of AI factories

Session 2: The Optical Scale-Up Frontier: Connecting the Next Generation of AI Systems

As AI systems scale beyond the practical limits of conventional electrical I/O, a new generation of optical interconnect architectures is emerging to connect accelerators, memory and compute across increasingly large scale-up domains. This session will explore emerging approaches to optical scale-up, from co-packaged optical I/O and 3D photonic interposers to massively parallel microLED and terahertz-class optical interconnects. It will examine how these distinct architectural approaches can deliver the bandwidth density, reach, manufacturability and system-level integration required to scale future AI infrastructure

Session 3: Architecting AI Fabrics

As AI infrastructure scales from tightly coupled accelerator clusters to distributed AI factories, networking is becoming one of the defining elements of overall system architecture. This session will explore how AI fabrics are evolving across scale-up, scale-out and emerging scale-across domains, and examine the architectural choices shaping next-generation connectivity. From Ethernet, merchant silicon and photonic fabrics to optical I/O and advanced interconnect technologies, the discussion will consider how complementary networking approaches can deliver the capacity, scalability and operational flexibility required by future AI infrastructure.

Session 4: Architecting the AI Network

As AI infrastructure scales to increasingly large clusters and tightly coupled compute domains, the optical connectivity roadmap is evolving rapidly. Pluggable transceivers continue to scale in capacity and density, while near-packaged and co-packaged optics are bringing photonics progressively closer to the compute.

This session will explore the evolution from next-generation pluggables to NPO and CPO across both scale-out and emerging optical scale-up architectures. It will examine the trade-offs in bandwidth density, power, integration, serviceability and cost, and consider what must change in manufacturing and the supply chain to deliver these technologies at hyperscale.

Session 5: Rethinking AI Infrastructure: Optical Switching and Photonic Acceleration

As photonics moves deeper into AI infrastructure, its role is expanding beyond point-to-point connectivity. Emerging optical circuit switching technologies promise to dynamically reconfigure how data moves between compute resources, while photonic computing architectures are exploring whether light can also transform how AI workloads are processed. This session will examine how optical switching and photonic acceleration could reshape future AI systems, and what is required to move these technologies from specialized architectures towards deployment at scale.

Session 6 - Advanced Materials, Devices and Components for Next-Generation Optical Infrastructure

As optical technologies move closer to compute and into increasingly integrated AI architectures, continued innovation at the materials, device and component level will be essential.  This session will explore emerging photonic platforms, alongside advances in light sources moving toward scalable high-volume production, next-generation detectors and highly integrated optical components, and how these technologies can enable new generations of optical interconnects.  It will examine the path from device-level innovation to manufacturable, system-ready solutions, and the role of new materials and integration approaches in improving performance, scalability and functionality across future AI infrastructure.  

Special Program: Industrializing Photonics for AI Infrastructure — From Foundry to High-Volume Manufacturing

As photonics moves deeper into AI infrastructure, the industry's focus is shifting from demonstrating performance to delivering manufacturable technologies at the scale, cost and reliability required for widespread deployment. Across CPO, NPO, OCS, LPO and emerging optical scale-up architectures, success will depend on an increasingly complex manufacturing ecosystem spanning foundries, advanced packaging, automated assembly, fiber connectivity, test and high-volume production.

This special afternoon program will bring together leaders from across the photonics and semiconductor manufacturing value chain to examine how the industry moves from innovation to industrialization. It will explore where manufacturing bottlenecks remain, how foundries and packaging ecosystems must evolve, and what is required to build a resilient, scalable supply chain capable of supporting the next generation of AI infrastructure.

Session 7 – Scaling Integrated Photonics: From Foundry to Advanced Packaging

The ability to manufacture integrated optical technologies at semiconductor scale is becoming increasingly critical. This session will bring together leaders across the photonics manufacturing ecosystem to examine how silicon photonics platforms, heterogeneous integration and advanced packaging are evolving to support next-generation optical interconnects. It will explore the path from specialist photonic processes to high-volume manufacturing, including the challenges of yield, process standardization, design enablement, packaging and test, and ask what the manufacturing ecosystem must deliver to support future AI infrastructure at scale.

Session 8 – Industrializing Photonics: From Innovation to High-Volume Manufacturing

The next challenge for photonics is not simply proving that new optical architectures work, but establishing how they can be assembled, tested, connected and manufactured at scale. As CPO, NPO, OCS, LPO and optical scale-up technologies move towards deployment, the industry must address practical challenges spanning optical alignment, fiber attach, detachable connectivity, automated assembly, test, yield, capital equipment and supply-chain integration.

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Jose Pozo