Photonics21

📢 PPAM2026: Secure your Early Bird ticket

Join us on 9 - 10 June 2026 in Brussels to:
🤝 Engage with CEOs, leading researchers and policymakers
💡 Discuss strategic priorities for photonics in Europe

Register now: annualmeeting.photonics21.org

#Photonics #EUInnovation #PPAM2026 #Photonics21

Looking forward to hearing all the great ideas! 💡

Chips to cut AI energy use being developed by European and South Korean scientists A team of researchers from Europe and South Korea is using photonics to cut the energy cost of AI and strengthen cybersecurity for future digital services

📢 As AI expands, so does the amount of electricity needed to run it. The HAETAE project is developing photonic chips designed to cut that energy use while maintaining performance in large-scale computing.

Full story: shorturl.at/ShHVK

#AI #Photonics #Chips

✨ How is photonics contributing to #competitiveness?

Photonics21 visited Brussels to exchange views on the future of #photonics.

We met Silvia Bartolini, Expert Member of Cabinet of the EVP @hennavirkkunen.bsky.social, and Kilian Gross, Director for Enabling and Emerging Technologies.

📰 Photonics in the Press: VIGO Photonics as an Example of European Innovation

Germany’s leading public broadcaster Tagesschau reported on the strong growth of Poland’s economy, featuring our partner as a example of this industrial momentum.

Full article: shorturl.at/mzRlT

#Photonics #Innovation

🚀 PPAM2026: Registration is now open!

Join us at the Photonics Partnership Annual Meeting 2026 on 9–10 June 2026 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Brussels City.

🎟️ Early bird registration is now available – secure your spot today: shorturl.at/6vmDc

#Photonics #EUInnovation #Photonics21

20 years of Photonics21 - a journey through our milestones | Photonics21 🪩 Celebrating 20 years of Photonics21 – and 5,000 followers strong To mark this milestone, we’ve put together a carousel highlighting key moments from 20 years of European photonics innovation. ✨ 𝟮𝟬...

🪩 Celebrating 20 years of Photonics21 – and 5,000 LinkedIn followers

To mark this milestone, we’ve put together a carousel highlighting key moments from 20 years of European photonics #innovation.

Take a look: shorturl.at/LNO25

🌟 Which moment resonates with you most?

#Throwback #Photonics21

📢Photonics21 Christmas wishes:

👉Explore relevant photonics calls - Horizon Europe work programmes 2026-2027 published

👉 Read our news at: www.photonics21.org/2025/explore...

#photonics #research #innovation

Millions of kilometres of fibre already run beneath Europe’s streets, fields and seas.

A new EU project will use photonics to test whether these cables can act as early-warning sensors for earthquakes and suspected sabotage.

👉 Full news: shorturl.at/rca3h

#FibreOptics #PublicSafety

🚀 Calling all innovators, makers, and future founders in photonics!

The Photonics21 Innovation Award 2026 is now open for applications.

Winners receive:
✨ € 5,000 cash prize
✨ Entrepreneurial skills training

🔗 Application: www.photonics21.org/contest-2026...
📅 Deadline: 2 April 2026

Photonics21: New Report Shows Only Photonics Can Satisfy AI’s Insatiable Appetite for Compute Power Artificial intelligence expands, driving up costs and threatening to slow Europe’s energy transition. But a new report shows that only light-based computing can keep AI’s ever-expanding power demands ...

📢AI is growing faster than the power grids that support it. Light-based computing may be the only practical way to keep AI efficient and affordable. Europe has the expertise; now it needs the scale!

👉Read our news & report: www.photonics21.org/2025/photoni...

#Photonics #AI #TechPolicy #DeepTech

📢 Photonics21 Welcomes Newly Elected Members to the Board of Stakeholders

We are delighted to welcome the 23 newly elected members to the Photonics21 Board of Stakeholders: shorturl.at/3TxS4

#Photonics21 #Photonics #Innovation #Collaboration #Europe

📢 Europe’s photonics start-ups are powering the continent’s innovation economy

240 new photonics start-ups have emerged since 2024, bringing Europe’s total to 556.
From medical imaging to quantum chips, these innovators are powering Europe’s next tech wave.

#Photonics #Innovation #Startups

📢 Help Shape the Future of Safety, Security, Space & Defence!

The next Photonics21 Work Group 5 “Safety, Security, Space & Defence” workshop will take place online on 19 November 2025 from 10:00-12:30 CET.

More information and draft agenda: shorturl.at/AP3Br

#FP10

🌟 Photonics21 Leadership Meeting 2025: Two days of vision, strategy & collaboration!

We brought together leaders from across the European photonics community for our annual Photonics21 Leadership Meeting to explore how to position photonics in the upcoming FP10.

#Photonics21 #Technology #FP10

Industry calls for €2B photonics programme in future Horizon Europe European industrial heavyweights, ranging from the defence and automotive sectors to telecoms and healthcare, are calling for a €2 billion “standalone programme” for photonics in the next Horizon Euro...

📰 Photonics in the press: Industry calls for EUR 2 bil photonics programme in future Horizon Europe

@sciencebusiness.net featured our Joint Statement in a dedicated article.

👉 Read the full article here: shorturl.at/QNLHY

#FP10 #HorizonEurope #Research #Innovation #Photonics21

📢Europe’s Industry Heavyweights Call for Action: Invest in light
Bosch, Volkswagen, Nokia Bell Labs, ZEISS, TRUMPF & others call on the EU for a €2 Billion photonics programme in FP10. Our future competitiveness depends on photonics powering 20% of Europe's economy!

👉Joint Statement: bit.ly/3KJ9nnO

📢 Photonics21 Board of Stakeholders: Meet the Candidates!

The nomination and voter registration phases are closed, and the candidates for the Photonics21 Board of Stakeholders (BoS) have been confirmed.

Meet the candidates: www.photonics21.org/bos-election...

#Photonics #Research #Innovation

📣 “To invest in light is to invest in Europe’s future.”

Our new Photonics21 Position Paper calls for a €2bn EU stand-alone programme in photonics to crowd in up to €8bn private investment. Europe cannot afford to be left behind.

Read more: shorturl.at/gVwXV

#Photonics #EUtech #Innovation

📅 Event tip: What’s next for #photonics in mobility across Europe?

Join the Automotive Sensing & Applications Workshop in Frankfurt on 19 November to explore the future of #mobility in Europe.

📢 Lutz Aschke is selected as one of the R&D leaders in photonics

Photonics21 President Dr Lutz Aschke has been named to the Photonics100 list of 2026. The Photonics100 recognises the most innovative people in the photonics industry. This year, more than 300 nominations were submitted.

Congrats!

💡At #EOSAM2025, EOS hosted its 9th EU Project Session! From photonics innovation to quantum internet and integrated chips, talks showed how EU projects are shaping Europe’s photonics future.

Thanks to all speakers! 👏

@photonics21.bsky.social
@photonhub.eu
@phortify.eu
@eu-qia.bsky.social
@qsnp.eu

📢 Help Shape the Future of Digital Infrastructure!

The next Photonics21 Work Group 1 “Digital Infrastructure” workshop will take place in Brussels on 21 October 2025 from 10:00-16:15 CET.

More information and draft agenda: shorturl.at/tfzHB

#FP10.

📢 Last call to take part in the BoS Election

This is your chance to register as a voter and to nominate candidates for the Photonics21 Board of Stakeholders (BoS) election.

Bring your vision of European photonics to life: shorturl.at/QLIER.

#Photonics #BoS #Election

📢 Help Shape the Future of Manufacturing!

The next Photonics21 Work Group 2 “Manufacturing” workshop will take place online on 23 October 2025 at 11:00 CET.

More information and draft agenda: shorturl.at/mCKqi

#FP10.

📢 Help Shape the Future of Core Photonics!

The next Photonics21 Work Group 7 “Core Photonics” workshop will take place online on 12 November 2025 at 10:00 CET.

More information and draft agenda: shorturl.at/E5ntU

#FP10.

Lithuanian photonics startup receives €2.8 million seed investment to accelerate the development of high-data-rate Earth-to-space communication technology Astrolight, a Lithuanian space communications company, has closed a seed round at €2.8 million led by frontier tech investor Balnord. EIFO, Coinvest Capital, 3NGLS, and Rita Sakus. This investment wil...

📢 Lithuanian photonics startup Astrolight secures €2.8 million seed funding

Astrolight, a Lithuanian startup specialising in laser-based Earth–space communication technologies, has raised €2.8 million in seed funding.

Read the full article: shorturl.at/wjWN9

We fully agree: technologists and their expertise are at the heart of shaping the future. This is why our platform brings together technologists alongside representatives from industry, academia and policy.
We warmly invite you to share your perspective within our community.

Engage in the BoS Election 2025

Why you should stand for election:
⚡ Lead the future of photonics
⚡ Grow your network
⚡ Shape policies
⚡ Support tech advancement

You can register as a voter and/or nominate yourself or a peer until 20 September: www.photonics21.org/bos-election/