This article covers Sivers Semiconductors AB’s Year-2 extension of the EW STAR project under the U.S. Microelectronics Commons framework. The company received a $6.6 million award from the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC) Hub.
This funding recognizes strong technical performance from the first year. It aims to push wideband antenna array technologies that can transmit and receive at the same time, serving electronic warfare, communications, and radar—plus, maybe, some commercial uses down the line.
Overview of the EW STAR Year-2 Extension
The second-year award really shows confidence in Sivers’ innovation path and early progress. Company leadership points out that support from the Microelectronics Commons program signals real belief among program backers in Sivers’ ability to turn research into usable defense tech.
This program wants to speed up development inside a national ecosystem for microelectronics research and fabrication. That should help lay the groundwork for next‑generation EW and sensing platforms.
The Year-2 extension gives resources to keep building wideband, electronically steerable antenna arrays for simultaneous transmission and reception. Progress on robust, compact, and energy-efficient photonics-enabled wireless components stands at the center here.
They expect to deliver architecture concepts and demonstrators that could help guide future defense-system upgrades.
Technological Focus: Wideband Antenna Arrays for Simultaneous TX/RX
The EW STAR program focuses on wideband antenna arrays that can transmit and receive at the same time across broad frequency ranges. That’s pretty crucial for modern electronic warfare, where fast spectrum access and tough communications links need to work alongside radar and sensing.
The team is pushing integration, miniaturization, and photonics-enabled processing to deliver arrays that can handle complex missions in tough environments.
They’re also looking for commercial angles—dual-use opportunities that could come from advanced wideband photonics and wireless designs. This work lines up with a bigger national push to modernize microelectronics and RF front-ends, move away from old components, and get lab ideas into the field faster.
Collaboration and Ecosystem
Funding and progress sit within the Microelectronics Commons framework, led by the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division. Sivers Semiconductors works with a wide mix of industry and academic partners to speed up innovation and make sure the work stays relevant at the system level.
Key collaborators include BAE Systems, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and Columbia University. Each brings specialized know-how in photonics, RF, materials, or systems integration.
These partnerships bridge basic research with real-world development. They let the team share risk, tap into unique facilities, and find a path toward scalable, secure production of advanced microelectronic parts.
The consortium approach supports a national effort to move defense tech forward while also opening doors for commercial uses.
Strategic Implications for Defense Modernization
The Year-2 extension could speed up modernization of advanced defense systems and architectures. By delivering high-performance wideband arrays and photonics-enabled processing, the program aims to cut cycle times from idea to demonstration to deployment.
This focus on modernization should help make sure future EW and sensing platforms can operate with more agility, resilience, and information dominance—even in complicated environments.
Commercial Innovation and Dual-Use Opportunities
EW STAR isn’t just about military benefits. These efforts could spark a wave of commercial innovation, too.
Wideband, low-noise, and integrable antenna technologies might soon boost secure communications, radar sensing, and high-speed wireless systems for everyday users. I mean, who doesn’t want faster, safer connections?
By encouraging cross-cutting expertise in photonics and RF architectures, the program nudges the domestic microelectronics ecosystem toward greater diversity and health. That’s where the real dual-use magic starts to happen, if you ask me.
- Strengthened defense–industry collaboration across government labs, defense primes, and universities
- Acceleration of modernization timelines for next-generation EW and radar systems
- Advances in photonics-enabled wireless technology with potential commercial spin-offs
- Enhanced national capabilities in microelectronics research and secure supply chains
Here is the source article for this story: Sivers Semiconductors Wins $6.6M Extension for U.S. Electronic Warfare Program