IMEC at a Belgian University?? Never heard of them. Brightest minds means Professors post doctoral candidates, graduate students??? Who are your brightest minds at this institute?? MosT of the brightest minds are so focused on their own research interests they are pretty much oblivious to anything outside of that. A comprehensive literature review is done before entering into a commitment of such research. Therefore, your brightest minds probably are not pursuing the GaAs side of the electrical/photonics arena or they are not being truthful to you. Right now the majority of the research grants being offered right now are for silicon photonics. My guess that will change in the very near future. In fact the announcement of President Obama to establish a new IMI Research Centre may have already lit the fuse for new and innovative ideas regarding "POET like" devices. You are right, there are many hurdles to overcome but it appears to me that POET is leading the pack. This is why my investment in this very promising technology. GL with your investments!