Apple awards $410 mn contract to optical technology maker II-VI

Apple has awarded $410 million to II-VI, a manufacturer of optical technology, to source  future components for iPhone.
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The award builds on an initial $390 million awarded from Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund to II-VI in 2017.

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

Apple 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.

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 contract with II-VI will create additional capacity and accelerate production of future components for iPhone, supporting more than 700 jobs across the US.

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