Shaping the Future of Photonics: An Exclusive Interview with Boudewijn Docter

As Tech Tour Photonics 2025 approaches this February 19-20 in Brussels, we are diving deep into the impact, challenges, and future of photonics innovation. With its vast applications in data centers, healthcare, defense, and Industry 4.0, photonics is shaping the way we communicate, manufacture, and even interact with AI-driven technologies.

To shed light on the evolving landscape, we sat down with Boudewijn Docter, a seasoned deep-tech entrepreneur and business leader. Having co-founded EFFECT Photonics and now leading growth at HighTechXL, he has firsthand experience in scaling photonics technology from university labs to volume manufacturing.

TT: You will be speaking at the upcoming Tech Tour Photonics 2025 – how do you envision the value this event creates?

BD:  All Tech Tour events I have attended in the past were really great because they allowed me to meet investors from a wider range of geographies – but also seeing the other startup pitches was always very inspiring.

TT: Your journey with photonics began during your university days. What first sparked your interest in photonic chips, and how did this lead to co-founding EFFECT Photonics?

BD: I started my career in photonics when I studied electrical engineering at Twente University and I got a part-time job as software engineer at a local startup company making design software for integrated optics. This sparked my interest in photonics, but also let me experience working in a small startup company, which I really enjoyed. So when I finished my PhD, starting my own company was a serious option. With the right support from various people and institutions around me, I made the first steps and one thing led to another.

TT: After 13 years of leadership at EFFECT Photonics, what motivated your transition to Chief Growth Officer at HighTechXL, and how has this shift shaped your perspective on deep-tech innovation?

BD:  After 13 years I wanted a change of scenery. I was already advising a few other startups and really enjoyed giving back and sharing some of my personal learnings. Joining HighTechXL showed me that many companies face similar challenges, but the ways to tackle them are different case-by-case. There is no one way to success. However, communicating clearly about where you are on your journey towards your final ambition is something that always comes back.

TT: Photonics is often described as a key enabling technology for the future. What do you see as the most exciting applications of photonics today and in the next decade?

BD:   Good question! There are many applications where photonics can play a role. What (startup-) entrepreneurs often miss is to ascertain what applications really need an (integrated) photonics solution. The fact that you can do something with an optical chip doesn’t mean that this is the best solution for the problem. You need to exploit the unique advantage of your technology, whether that is size, performance or scalability, but also be very critical and honest about competing technologies. And finally, your application needs to be able to support a significant part of the business of your supply chain, especially for the critical parts. If you have a photonic chip in your application, but you only need a few thousand pieces per year, your fab partner may not give you the priority you need.

To me, the application areas that could fit the above criteria are the traditional data/telecom sector, the medical or lifestyle sector, and sensors for volume markets such as automotive – although the adoption timeline for the latter can be very long.

AR & VR applications are also interesting, but this market is still very young and it is not clear when this could really take off. But with the right combination of hardware and AI software, I do expect some mind-blowing demos in the next couple of years. The whole AI evolution will also require new concepts for computing and datacenter architectures with all-optical switches and closer photonic/electronic integration, which we are starting to see already.

TT: Having grown a photonics company from a university lab to an international player, what do you think are the biggest challenges and opportunities for startups in this field?

BD:   The biggest challenge for sure is scaling the technology from the university lab into a volume production supply chain. Existing volume production processes require you to rethink your initial product design from the ground up, while scaling your own production processes to high volume is both very expensive and requires a complete different skillset. So the opportunity lies in getting access to volume production supply chains at an early stage and design your product using existing volume infrastructure. For European startups there is also an additional geographical challenge, given the current trends in geo-politics and the lack of high-volume supply chains in Europe.

TT: You’ve mentioned the importance of building a strong team and culture. What lessons did you learn about leadership while scaling EFFECT Photonics, and how are you applying those lessons in your current work?

BD:   The success of your company relies on finding and retaining the right people. A big challenge is that as your company grows, you constantly need to reinvent your organizational structure, and the different roles also change accordingly. It is not a given that someone that has a certain role in the company when you are with, let’s say, 20 people – is also the right person for that role at 100 people. Some people can make that transition, some cannot. When you hire experienced people, you may block the progress of some of your early staff and key knowledge holders, but you also need that experience to act as role-models for your younger staff.

There is no simple solution to the above, except that you need to communicate about these dilemmas across your organization and also with your investors. If you do this from day one, then when you have to make tough decisions at a later stage, they will be less disruptive for the people and the team.

And of course you need to talk a lot about what motivates people. Some will be there for the technical challenges, some find the interaction with colleagues more important, and some will be highly motivated by the potential for commercial success. These can (and maybe should) co-exist in one team, but also here you need to communicate about these personal drivers and set the right expectations. Ideally, everyone can identify with the final product/service and the impact you plan to make. The latter is increasingly more important for employees, both young and old.

And finally – make sure that you do celebrate intermediate successes, even if they come in late or in a different way than originally planned. You and your team are building something that is a huge challenge, so it is important to recognize that.

TT: As a mentor and advisor to entrepreneurs, what key advice do you give to deep-tech startups striving to navigate the complexities of fundraising and market entry?

BD:   Start early – and plan for delays. My professor once told me that plans always take 3.14x longer and cost 3.14x more. This was his π2-law.

Jokes aside, I think it is important to have a plan B, in case you cannot raise the full amount of funding you ideally need. If at all possible, raise more than you think you need and don’t worry too much about valuations. It is more important to de-risk your success than to optimize exit value and fail.

When it comes to market entry, make sure you understand your customers’ requirements in as much detail as possible. There are many more requirements than what is on a spec sheet, whether it is related to supply chain, financial stability of your company, IP portfolio, etc. Understand your customers’ stakeholders at different levels as much as possible. Build relationships at all levels, CEO-CEO, CTO-CTO, Supply chain-Procurement, etc. This takes time and is a continuous process.

TT: Looking at the current photonics landscape, what areas of innovation or trends do you think will redefine the industry in the coming years?

BD:   As mentioned earlier, there is a big surge in datacenter infrastructure driven by AI. But I also expect many new applications using AI that also need photonics technology, such as AR headsets and medical/lifestyle gadgets.

I also expect more and more interest in photonics from fields like agri-food, where we really need to rethink how we can feed our growing population without trashing our environment.

In terms of photonics landscape, I expect the current geo-political situation will continue to drive more towards manufacturing in Europe. Hopefully we can re-establish that across the supply chains, but it will be a challenge to find the right staff with the right skillset for this.

TT: What do you find most rewarding about working with early-stage ventures, and how do you see your role in shaping the next generation of deep-tech entrepreneurs?

BD:    What I love about coaching and mentoring is that you are always working with passionate people with a lot of energy. And they really appreciate being able to discuss their challenges with someone that went through the same struggle as they are in. Even if you don’t have a clear yes/no answer or a clear direction on what to do, it is good to explore the options together. It is great if you later hear back that a certain tip or an introduction really made a difference.

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To connect with Boudewijn Docter and other game-changing entrepreneurs in this fascinating space, don’t miss the chance to join us at Tech Tour Photonics 2025 this February in Brussels.