Apple awards $410M to laser firm, to create 700 jobs in US

The award builds on an initial $390 million awarded from Apple's Advanced Manufacturing Fund to II-VI in 2017.

Cupertino: Apple has awarded $410 million to II-VI, a leading manufacturer of optical technology, that will create additional capacity and accelerate production of future components for iPhone, supporting more than 700 jobs across the US.

The award builds on an initial $390 million awarded from Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund to II-VI in 2017.

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II-VI manufactures vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) that help power Face ID, Memoji, Animoji, and Portrait mode selfies.

Apple said in a statement on Thursday that also works with II-VI to manufacture lasers used in the LiDAR Scanner — technology that helps deliver faster, more realistic augmented reality experiences and improves autofocus in low-light scenes in photos and videos.

“We established Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund to support American businesses creating next-generation technology and the jobs of tomorrow,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer.

“II-VI shares our commitment to push the boundaries of innovation and we’re proud to be extending our work together across the country,” he added.

Apple’s expanded partnership with II-VI is part of the company’s plans to invest $430 billion and add 20,000 new jobs across the US over the next five years.

“The partnership between Apple and II-VI sets the stage for a new wave of breakthrough technologies that we believe will enable a wide range of applications that will benefit our world for decades to come,” said Dr Vincent Mattera Jr, II-VI’s CEO.