Kopin plans to open a new Optics and Photonics Design Center in Dallas, Texas, expanding its US engineering footprint around optical interconnect work aimed at AI infrastructure. The site is intended to accelerate development of Kopin’s Neural I/o technology, including next-generation optical interconnects and co-packaged optics for data centers.
Kopin expects the Dallas facility to open before the end of 2026. The company describes the site as a hub for advanced research, design engineering, and small-scale manufacturing.
What the Dallas design center will include
Kopin says the Dallas center will add new optics and photonics lab space, a dedicated design and engineering center, and advanced R&D capabilities focused on Neural I/o. The company also expects manufacturing capacity there for Neural I/o and ASOS systems, along with expertise spanning optomechanical engineering, hardware, and software deployment disciplines.
For data center operators and infrastructure architects, the practical takeaway is straightforward: moving optical interconnect development and small-scale manufacturing closer to customers can shorten iteration cycles, especially when the target is co-packaged optics, where mechanical, thermal, and system integration decisions tend to be tightly coupled to the platform.
Kopin CEO Michael Murray said, “Establishing a dedicated Optics and Photonics Design Center in one of the country’s leading hotspots for optical data infrastructure strengthens our domestic engineering capabilities and accelerates our ability to deliver next‑generation Neural I/o systems.”
Josh Silverman, CEO of Fabric.AI, said the work the companies are doing together on Neural I/o is “aimed squarely at the bandwidth and power bottlenecks that define the AI infrastructure buildout,” and that having “advanced optics R&D and manufacturing under one U.S.-based roof” should help them move “from design to customer deployment far faster.”
Kopin describes itself as a developer and provider of display technologies, optical interconnect devices, and application-specific optical solutions, including optics and low-power ASICs and optical interconnect devices for data centers.
Source: Kopin
