Tower Semiconductor Partners with LightIC to Expand Silicon Photonics Beyond AI Infrastructure into Physical AI and Automotive

Core Insights - Tower Semiconductor and LightIC Technologies have announced a strategic collaboration to leverage Tower's silicon photonics platform for LightIC's FMCW LiDAR products, including automotive and robotics applications [1][4][5] Industry Overview - The global automotive LiDAR market is projected to grow from $859 million in 2024 to $3.6 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24% [2] - The broader LiDAR market is expected to reach $6.3 billion by 2027, driven by applications in industrial automation, smart infrastructure, and robotics [2] Company Developments - Tower Semiconductor's advanced silicon photonics platform is being utilized for large-scale AI infrastructure, which supports the integration of optical functions for FMCW LiDAR [3] - The collaboration aims to enhance optical integration and improve size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) for velocity-aware LiDAR applications [4] - LightIC Technologies focuses on delivering commercially viable 4D FMCW LiDAR solutions for automotive and Physical AI applications [5][9]