Glasgow University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with two state-owned companies in China to develop an international opto-electronics industry base in the Lingang area of Shanghai.

The Shanghai Lingang International Photonic Integrated Circuit Joint Laboratory (the PIC Lab) will “foster collaboration between the university and its partners in Lingang”.

It will aim to speed up the commercialisation of opto-electronic integrated chip technology, “to address the demand for high-speed network connections for the next generation of the Internet.”

A spokesman said the PIC Lab will capitalise on the combination of domestic and foreign skills and resources to develop “an effective concentration of high-end technical and commercial talent in the field of photonics to deliver a world-leading, cutting-edge technology and industrial capital”.