News

First video files of the Photonics21 Annual Meeting 2012 have now been published on the Photonics21 website. You can watch the video files of the General Assembly if you click here.

The computer industry is nearing a crisis: microchips get smaller and faster but they struggle to transfer data at sufficient speeds. Electrons flowing through standard chip connections are just too slow. Now EU-funded researchers have shown how chips with built-in lasers which use multiple wavelengths of light could in the future transmit data at terabit speeds.

You can read the full article here.

Photonics21 would like to provide you an overview on the media coverage of the Photonics21 Annual Meeting 2012.

Photonics - a great exampleof EU research in action

Maybe you haven’t heard of Photonics? Or maybe you just think it’s something they might use to kill the bad guys in Star Trek? In fact, it’s not just real, it’s an incredibly important field of technology.

You can read more about on Commissioner Kroes' blog:

http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/neelie-kroes/photonics/

Partnerships take Euro-photonics to next level                                                   

At today’s Photonics 21 Annual Meeting, Neelie Kroes, the European Commission’s Vice President, confirmed her support for the foundation of a public-private partnership (PPP) within Horizon 2020 with Photonics 21, the pan European Technology Forum.

You can read the full article by following this link: http://optics.org/news/3/3/40

Photonics21 Annual Meeting Draws Focus to Innovation and Public-Private Partnership

Energizing photonics innovation through public-private partnership and applying the field's uptapped potential to solve the world's problems occupied discussions at this week's Photonics21 Annual Meeting

You can read the full article here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/03/28/prweb9339990.DTL

Neelie Kroes Vice-President Of The European Commission Towards The Future At The Speed Of Light

It's great to be back among you again. Last year, we met and I set out the role of Photonics in European growth. I knew then that, if we decide to move together in the right direction, we can surely make things happen.

You can read the full article here: http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/48610

European photonics body plans accelerated growth

The European photonics industry is ready to deliver on its commitment of an overall investment of 7 Billion Euros in a Photonics Public Private Partnership (PPP) by 2020 and make an impact on creating new jobs and recovering from the economic crisis.

You can read the full article if you click here: http://optics.org/indepth/3/3/4


Schulterschluss von Politik und Industrie (German article)

You can read the full article here: http://www.photonik.de/pl/5/6/0/4323/schulterschluss-von-politik-und-industrie.html

How short should a short course be? At which levels should continuing education focus? These and other questions will be in the focus of a workshop on Continuing Education: Short Courses for Industry organized by the European Optical Society (EOS).

Continuing education is an essential need in modern society, in particular for those involved with new technologies. Optics and photonics are no exceptions. There is a constant need to train and retrain optical engineers who have existing professional experience, but need to adjust to new technologies or broaden their scope to increase their capacity for innovation. The challenge in optics and photonics, in fact, is broader than in some other domains, because of the considerable diversity of optical technologies and of the many fields of applications.

Ideas will be shared to boost initiatives, by discussing the following issues:

• At which levels should continuing education focus?
• How short should a short course be?
• If it is clear that the need exists, how can the finances be secured to fill the need?
• How do you organise homogeneous groups of attendees, and how important is it to do so?
• Given constraints on time and financial means, how can the organisations offering training best adjust to the needs of the employers: distance to be travelled, language requirements, group size, etc.?
• How important is it that these courses offer continuing education credits?
• Where is the distinction between continuing education and consulting?
• Compared to other parts of the world, is there one European model of continuing education in Optics and
• Photonics, should there be one, and what are the currently prevailing models in various parts of Europe?

The workshop on Continuing Education: Short Courses for Industry is chaired by Pierre Chavel (Institut d’Optique, FR), Chris Dainty (National University of Ireland, IE) and Paul Urbach (Technical University of Delft, NL).

Held alongside the EOS Annual Meeting 2012 (EOSAM 2012) in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK (25 – 28 September), this workshop is aimed at gathering providers, employers and potential trainees with various experience of the process of continuing education. Launched in 2006, and since then hosted every even year by the OPTO exhibit in Paris, the EOS Annual Meeting (EOSAM) has established itself as a major European event with about 700 attendees. In 2012, EOSAM moves to Aberdeen in Scotland, to reach out into the wider European community and broaden the appeal to those not directly connected with the EOS.

Read more about the workshop here.

The European Optical Society launched its Student Programme in 2011. EOS is now again inviting students to apply for the foundation of further EOS Student Clubs. Applications may be made by 16 April 2012.

Seven EOS Student Clubs have been established so far, to focus on special concerns and needs of students in optics and photonics, and to provide a platform for networking. Aiming at encouraging and supporting students in continuing their study in optics and photonics and to start a successful career, the EOS Student Programme is open to all undergraduate, graduate and PhD students who are EOS members.

The programme is organised in regional and topical Student Clubs, and is supported by the National Optical Societies - the EOS Branches and Affiliated Societies. To facilitate networking, EOS arranges an annual Student Assembly, where members of the Student Clubs can meet. This year’s assembly will be held alongside EOSAM 2012 in Aberdeen, Scotland (25 – 28 September 2012).

Application deadline: 16 April 2012. Contact: studentclubs@myeos.org

More information is available here.

The European photonics industry is ready to deliver on its commitment of an overall investment of 7 Billion Euros in a Photonics Public Private Partnership (PPP) by 2020 and make an impact on creating new jobs and recovering from the economic crisis.

Brussels, 28 March 2012: Today, Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice President announced her active support towards creating a photonics Public Private Partnership (PPP) within the Horizon 2020 framework together with Photonics21, the platform of the European photonics industry in the frame of the Photonics21 Annual Meeting, which was held in Brussels.

“Europe needs to face up to the challenges of a rapidly globalising economy. The photonics sector can unleash massive economic potential and help deliver the Digital Agenda for Europe. EU policies that support research, demonstration, and application are crucial for spurring Europe’s competitiveness. A Public Private Partnership in Photonics, based on a serious commitment from industry, will help to unlock Europe’s innovation potential and bring to market products that will shape our future world and our future economy” said Neelie Kroes.

The Photonics Public Private Partnership would bring Europe a step further towards addressing the economic crisis and closing the divide between scientific excellence and innovative production. The European photonics industry reaffirms its commitment – the strongest amongst all KETs – to 4-fold leverage public support of 1.4 billion towards the creation of a shared account totalling 7 billion Euros. Another significant pledge includes establishing measurable targets for success of the projects funded. Photonics21 welcomes the opportunity for a partnership, which would bring the photonics industry on par with the European Commission, ensure long-term investment security over 7 years and significantly impact the European job market with the creation of an additional 70,000 to 100,000 jobs.

In a high-ranking panel discussion with representatives from the EU Commission and the European Parliament, MEP Malcolm Harbour expresses his full support for a Photonics PPP: “Photonics are recognised as a critical strategic technology for a modern and technologically advanced Europe. The proposed 7 Billion Euro partnership between Photonics21 and the European Commission would have a substantial impact on future growth and job creation, and significantly assist the EU’s continued economic recovery. It will be a major boost for the Innovation Union".

Martin Goetzeler, President of Photonics21, highlights that “Photonics21 welcomes the ambitious Horizon 2020 proposal by the European Commission with its approach for a real innovation focused funding with positive impact on jobs and competitiveness and where public private partnerships (PPPs) would generate a long term budget security for the projects partners .”

Like many other sectors, the potential of the photonics industry is currently limited by the so called “Valley of Death” in the innovation value chain. “Photonics innovation in Europe tends to fall through in the stage between successful science and pilot scale industrial deployments, the latter being the stage at which jobs can start being created”, Martin Goetzeler comments.

He emphasises that in order “to strengthen Europe’s innovation capacity and capture the full benefit of Europe’s industry base, we need to avoid mistakes of the past and ensure the creation of an environment that nurtures innovation and covers the entire value chain, from the breakthrough in research through to the development of products”.

The founding of a Photonics PPP would address these concerns and bring to fruition the recommendations of the KET High Level Group 2011 report, which calls for a clear focus to be placed on KETs. The proposal for the Horizon 2020 framework incorporates those recommendations in its entirety and calls for a strong commitment from all key actors involved to enhance collaboration and ensuring a strong leadership position for Europe.

Striving to support photonics training and education and contribute to strengthening a highly qualified workforce in Europe is the aim of the Education and Training work group of Photonics21. For the fourth time therefore Photonics21 is handing over a Student Innovation Award entailing a cash prize totaling 5000 Euros to two outstanding student research works on photonics. Thomas Geernaert, Post-doctoral research fellow at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel received the award for his excellent work on sensors and Bernhard Schrenk, post-doctoral researcher at the National Technical University of Athens for his innovative research on the next generation of optical fibre networks.

Photonics21-Media-Kit-final-for-release-28-March.pdf

To read more about the photonics special please go to the following link:

parliament_photonics.pdf

Photonics21 has arranged a Bus Shuttle Service between Brussels North Station (Gare du Nord) and the Hotel Husa President Park.

On the 27 March 2012the Bus Shuttle will be offered at the following shuttle times:

11.30 to 12.45: Shuttle service to take Photonics21 Board of Stakeholder participants from the Gare du Nord to the Husa President Park Hotel

17.00 to 19.00: Shuttle service to take Photonics21 participants from the Gare du Nord to the Husa President Park Hotel

22.00 to 23.00: Shuttle service to take Photonics21 participants from the Husa President Park Hotel to the Gare du Nord

On the 28 March 2012 the Bus Shuttle service will run at the following times:

7.30 to 9.00: Shuttle service to take participants from the Gare du Nord to the Husa President Park Hotel

17.00 to 18.00: Shuttle service to take the participants from the Hotel Husa President Park to the Gare du Nord

Bus departure at the Gare du Nord: Look out for Hostess Service

The bus will depart in front of the BELGACOM TOWER which is located at Boulevard Albert II and the corner entrance to Brussels North station which is located at Boulevard Simon Bolivar

Please note that you will find a hostess inside the train station building close to the metro ticket counter who will guide you the way to the bus departure.

For any further information see the following photos:

Exit to the Boulevard Simon Bolivar and the BELGACOM TOWER

Exit form the Gare du Nord to the Boulevard Simon Bolivar and the BELGACOM TOWER

Overview map Brussels North Station (Gare du Nord)

In the frame of the Photonics21 Annual Meeting 2012, Photonics21 has set up a media partnership with the +Plastic Electronics magazine. Members of Photonics21 can now access a special 20-page report from the +Plastic Electronics magazine outlining the commercial future of photonics/organic electronics, based on interviews with industry experts (www.plusplasticelectronics.com).

To receive a copy of the photonics report from +Plastic Electronics, you can send an e-mail to publications@pira-international.com with the subject line PE photonics report.

For more information on +Plastic Electronics you can visit the following website: www.intertechpira.com/plus-plastic-electronics.aspx

Take the opportunity to join, meet, inform and network at the upcoming Photonics21 Annual Meeting 2012 which will be held on the 27 and 28 March 2012 in the hotel HUSA President Park in Brussels!

With more than 300 photonics experts from industry, academia and politics, the Photonics21 Annual Meeting has become the major event for the European photonics community!

In her letter to Photonics21 Commissioner Neelie Kroes defined the upcoming Photonics21 Annual Meeting 2012 as milestone event in the process to establish a Photonics Public Private Partnership in the upcoming Framework Programme Horizon 2020 and agreed to provide the keynote speech.

The future development towards a Public Private Partnership for Photonics will be the main focus of the Photonics21 Annual Meeting 2012 and the General Assembly on the 28 March 2012 which will be followed by the Photonics21 work group sessions in the afternoon.

A further highlight of the event will be the presentation of the fourth Photonics21 Student Innovation Award in the frame of the evening reception on the 27 March 2011. The award honors excellent industrial-related photonics research in Europe.

You can find the agenda for the event here.

Registration and payment:

The online registration to the Annual Meeting has now been closed. 

Please note thata cancellation of your registration and reimbursement of the registration fee is only possible until the 28 February 2012.

Meeting venue:

The Photonics21 Annual Meeting 2012 will take place in the Hotel HUSA President Park.

HUSA President Park                                                                                                         

Boulevard du Roi Albert II 44, 1000 Bruxelles

We invite you to get a first impression of the meeting venue here:

http://www.husapresidentpark.com/default-en.html

Hotel accommodation:

In the hotel HUSA President Park 100 rooms have been provisionally blocked for 160 € per night, breakfast included. The corresponding booking code is: PHOTONICS21

If you would like to reserve a hotel room, we kindly ask you to make your reservation directly with the hotel HUSA President Park by filling in the reservation form which can find here.

You can then make your reservation by sending back the reservation form either via

fax to: (+32) 2 203 24 40 or via

e-mail to: info.president@husa.es

Please note that this option is only valid until the end of February 2012.

Other hotel accommodations nearby the meeting venue:

You can find some further information about other hotels which are in walking distance of the hotel HUSA President Park here.

How to get to the meeting venue:

Directions from the airport

In the Brussels Airport passenger terminal, take the lift to -1 and buy the Airport City Express train ticket (5.20 € one way) at the desk of the train station. For Brussels, you take any train at platform 2 or 3. Trains depart approximatively every 10-20 minutes and run from 5am to midnight. At North Station take the Simon Bolivard exit and walk to the roundabount. Turn on your right towards Boulevard Roi Albert II and walk until end of the street. Follow the signs for Husa President Park.

Directions from Midi station (Thalys)

Take the train until the North Station. There are trains towards Brussels Nord every 5 minutes. You can also take the tram, line 4 till the Brussels Nord (see schedule). At the station take the Simon Bolivard exit and walk to the roundabount. Turn on your right towards Boulevard Roi Albert II and walk until end of the street. Follow the signs for Husa President Park.

You can find any further information here: http://www.husapresidentpark.com/location-en.html