What they do could be developing new TCAD software, enhancing existing TCAD software, and/or using that software to create POET-specific models. These models could then be fed into industry-standard software and ultimately hit those large machines in the fab(s), so that they know how to produce and spit out POET chips. The more automated this process, the better.
Disclaimer: That's how I understand it, but I could be wrong.
Andrea ("Powered by POET")