Work Group 7 - Research, Education and Training

MBI fs Clark system007
Photonics is all-encompassing, representing the indispensable technological pacemaker in industrial society.

The diversity of photonics and its applications in industry, medicine, the environment and many others areas is why it is so important to Europe’s prosperity and the quality of life of its citizens, but this diversity poses a challenge in training young people for a career in photonics-related activities.

As in other interdisciplinary fields, training in photonics requires knowledge from several fields, notably physics, materials science, computer science and engineering and the successful application of photonics may also require a detailed understanding of fields such as engineering, biotechnology, nanotechnology, electronics or medicine.

This special challenge in the education and training of scientific offspring needs a focused and cooperative strategy by:
Industry:
  • Support third and fourth level education by offering internships and other training stages on the international basis.
  • Think European when recruiting
  • Define the skills that are needed by the future workforce
Academia
  • Promote photonics in third and second level education, for example by offering photonics-related courses
  • Work more closely with the industrial world by implementing industry-based stages in PhD or master programmes and by promoting exchange from academic staff to industry and vice versa.
  • Foster mobility amongst teachers as well as researchers.
  • Develop new or update photonics related educational programmes (Master/Bachelor/PhD) that derive from industry needs.
National and European Funding Agencies
  • Establish EU funding for PhD scholarships to support trans-national mobility.
  • Establish a European Centre for Outreach and Information in Photonics
  • Increase the funding for a research network

MEMBER AREA
HIGHLIGHTS

European Commission adopts Green Paper on Solid State Lighting and launches a public consultation

The European Commission adopted the Green Paper "Lighting the Future - Accelerating the deployment of innovative lighting technologies" and has launched a public consultation on the future of LEDs for lighting. > MORE

The European Technology Platform Photonics21 - A Brief Portrait

An updated version of the platform portrait is available now for download. > MORE

Photonics21 proposal for a Public Private Partnership in the Framework Programme Horizon 2020

Photonics industry commits to more than 5 billion Euros investment in Europe > MORE

Photonics21 Student Innovation Award

Read more about the award which honours excellent industrial-related photonics research here > MORE

THE PHOTONICS21
DATABASE

over 2000 companies and 700 research labs involved in Photonics in Europe
> RESEARCH GROUPS > COMPANIES

Zumtobel - Solutions made by light:

Energy effecient lighting & environmental monitoring
> Start the movie