SiLC Expands U.S. Manufacturing Hub to Accelerate Innovation in Automation, Robotics, and AI Vision Systems

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SiLC Technologies, Inc. (SiLC) announced an approximately 30% expansion of its Monrovia headquarters, increasing its total facility size to more than 30,000 square feet and securing the option for further expansion. The added space will support advanced manufacturing operations, allowing SiLC to scale production, accelerate innovation, and reinforce its position as a trusted U.S.-based supplier of high-performance vision systems.

SiLC’s Monrovia facility will manufacture products for perimeter security and advanced custom solutions designed to meet government requirements. This new domestic facility complements SiLC’s existing global manufacturing network, which supports products for industrial and warehouse automation, robotics, and mobility markets.

“As a fabless company, SiLC has traditionally manufactured its silicon photonics chips with dedicated commercial fabs and relied on an ODM model for system-level products,” said Mehdi Asghari, CEO of SiLC Technologies. “We will continue this approach, but our new U.S.-based manufacturing facility, located next to our R&D team, allows us to design, assemble, test, and ship products all under one roof. Visiting customers can see our capabilities, observe our production processes, conduct quality audits, or view performance demonstrations. This setup accelerates the transition from wafers to concept demonstrators to final products in weeks, while providing a reliable domestic source for high-performance vision solutions and addressing a critical gap in U.S. manufacturing.”

The new facility enables SiLC to scale production and deliver greater value to customers across multiple markets. Two primary initiatives will benefit from the added capacity:

• Factory Automation Pilot Line: Designed for robotics and automation customers, this capability shortens the transition from R&D to production and accelerates transfer to SiLC’s outsourced manufacturing partners, delivering faster time to volume and continued innovation in vision systems.
• U.S.-Based Production: For government and defense applications requiring domestic manufacturing, SiLC is now able to design, prototype and manufacture all in the U.S. and from a single location. With manufacturing located alongside the company’s design team, SiLC can support more complex products, lower-volume runs, and continuous performance improvements with much faster cycles from concept to product.

“While we celebrate the national effort to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and are working to do our part in this critical movement, we must also recognize that nowhere across the application spectrum is our dependency on China greater than in photonics and the associated components needed for packaging,” Asghari continued. “This is just a small step forward on a long journey. Our integration platform is designed to tackle critical packaging challenges and enable monolithic integration of high-performance on-chip building blocks. Through advanced wafer-scale assembly and packaging technologies, we aim to help reduce this dependency in ways that are economically viable even in higher-cost labor environments - while creating high-value jobs in the process.”

This expansion highlights SiLC’s commitment to supporting Monrovia’s growing technology ecosystem. The company actively partners with local innovation groups such as MADIA Tech Launch, reinforcing Monrovia’s role as a hub for high-tech growth in Southern California. SiLC also collaborates with local colleges to help develop the next generation of engineers and scientists.

“Monrovia has always been a city that embraces progress while staying true to its community values,” said Becky Shevlin, mayor of Monrovia. “The expansion of SiLC’s manufacturing facility reflects the spirit of innovation that continues to shape our future. By investing in advanced technologies right here in Monrovia, SiLC not only strengthens our local economy but also inspires the next generation of innovators who will keep our city thriving and vibrant.”