Research|Optics: ECOC 2026 Takeaways, NPO Gains Momentum as Slow and Wide Takes Shape We attended ECOC 2026 in Málaga last week. The debate between slow and wide and fast and narrow was a recurring topic in presentations and plenary sessions. Companies presented microLED and micro-VCSEL designs and discussed their performance, manufacturing challenges and production timelines. NPO was also in focus, with live NPO demos on the show floor and more discussion of how and when it ramps. This note covers our takeaways from the presentations, demos and conversations with companies, including developments in NPO, scale-in, external lasers, retimers, DSPs, coherent-lite and test and measurement. Detailed Report

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At the #ECOC# Exhibition, Lumentum, Qualcomm, and Corning Incorporated are demonstrating a high-density optical die-to-die architecture using 1060 nm VCSELs to support high-bandwidth, low-power, and low-latency links over multimode fiber. The demonstration combines Lumentum's VCSEL platform, Qualcomm's D2D interface technology, and Corning's fiber connectivity - showing a practical path toward compact, energy-efficient optical links for next-generation Al systems. Source: $LITE

The four plenary keynotes at #ECOC# 2026 collectively presented a remarkably coherent technology roadmap. Peter Winzer of Ciena approached the problem from the perspective of AI cluster architecture, examining how the continued expansion of GPU and XPU clusters is forcing optical connectivity closer to compute through scale-up, scale-out, and scale-across architectures. Patrick Vandenameele, CEO of imec, addressed the same challenge from a semiconductor technology perspective, arguing that future AI scaling can no longer rely on CMOS alone. Silicon photonics, 3D integration, advanced packaging, and electronics will increasingly need to evolve as part of a unified technology platform.

optics/AI infrastructure players LONG I never expected ECOC to become this widely discussed. Even when I started on X in 2025, I was surprised by the attention. This year, 2026, feels completely different. So many Substackers and people on X are now covering ECOC announcements and the companies behind them almost in real time. Optical networking and photonics are clearly no longer niche topics.

- $MRVL is demonstrating a 102.4 Tbps CPO platform at ECOC, using 200G/lane silicon photonics, 6.4 Tbps optical engines, and detachable ELSFPs. - The platform directly targets the reach and power limitations of copper as AI scale-up networks expand. > $MRVL is moving beyond traditional networking silicon toward a broader AI connectivity platform spanning custom silicon, SerDes, optical DSPs, silicon photonics, and CPO. > As AI infrastructure scales, $MRVL’s strategic importance could continue to increase.