The Silicon Photonics Group was formed by Professor Graham T. Reed at the University of Surrey in 1989. The group carried out the original work upon which the first company in silicon photonics was built, Bookham Technology, founded by Reed’s PhD student, Dr Andrew Rickman OBE. Initial strategy was to adopt a proof of principle and device optimization approach. More recently, the activity has evolved to look at larger and more complex circuits, as technology has become more advanced. Over the last 20 years, the group has made a significant contribution in the field of silicon photonics most notably in waveguides, optical modulators, grating couplers, optical filters and switches. Collaborations with a number of industrial and academic institutions have been established. From 1 April 2012, the group has been based at the University of Southampton, UK.