Photonics21 Vice president Giorgio Anania will represent Photonics21 in
the High Level Industry Advisory Group on Key Enabling Technologies. This
advisory group has been set up by the European Commission in order to provide
strategic advice to the five Key Enabling Technologies. Read more about it in
this newsletter.
The Digital Agenda
- recently introduced by Comissioner Neelie Kroes - intends to be
Europe's strategy for a flourishing digital economy. Photonics plays a major
role to overcome many of the current obstacles observed. We invite you to
read more about it's intention and work areas.
Progress made - but
room for further improvement - this is a kind of conclusion European Commission
draw in their recently published progress report about Photonic
Innovation Clusters. For more in depth see below.
And finally -we would like to draw your attention on two highly interesting
events from EU Comission, which you may want to attend:
The information day
for the Future Internet will be held on the 8 July 2010 - offering
detailed information of the FP 7 ICT workshop
The progress regarding
research Public Private Partnerships and the seond Cross-thematic
Coordinated Calls are subject of the information day planned for the 9
July 2010 in Brussels, Charlemagne Building.
Finally, as always,
we invite you to have a look in our section news from abroad and events.
The
information day is preceded by an
Information Day on the Future Internet - PPP which will take place on the 8
July 2010. The aim of this event is to give detailed information on the FP7 ICT
work programme 2011/12 objectives related to the set-up of Public Private
Partnerships on the Future Internet. You will find any further information on
the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/foi/events/fipppi10/index_en.htm
Please
not that you have to register separately for both events.
EU
Councils took note of the presentation supporting the efforts to develop a digital single market with fast internet
and interoperable applications, as well as the environmental added value of the
agenda.
The report outlines the huge economic role the ICT
sector plays for the European economy accounting for 5 % of European GDP and -
to an even larger extend - promote the overall productivity growth as an
enabling technology field.
The Commission lays out the seven main obstacles they
identified in the current digital economy:
· Fragmentation and
patchwork of online markets
· Lack of
interoperability due to lacking standardization
· Rising Cybercrime and
risk of low trust
· Lack of network
investment
· Insufficient research
and innovation efforts under using the creativity of SME’s
· Low digital literacy
and skill sets
· Missed opportunities
in addressing societal changes such as climate change, aging population, rising
health costs and efficient public services
Key actions areas are defined to systematically tackle
these problems. Aside from measures to create a single digital market by
improved governance and rights management, fast and ultra fast internet access
by deployment of Next Generation Access networks play a major role aiming for
an improved fibre to home (FTTH) penetration. Higher investments in R&D as
well as accelerated uptake of ICT based innovations notably in the public area
are further key fields of improvement.
Alfredo Viglienzoni, Chair of “Photonics21”
Workgroup 1 (ICT), welcomed the Digital Agenda as a “Research and Innovation
pillar” and underlined the large communalities this agenda has with the Photonics21
Strategic Research Agenda.
Photonics plays
a major role in many of the obstacles the Agenda wants to address for future
improvements: In the area of faster Internet access and transmission, for
“greener” ICT through higher efficiency, and in the area of addressing social
challenges such as healthcare costs and ageing population.
You can read the
full text of the Digital Agenda Communication here.
Photonics21 is represented in the High Level Industry Advisory Group on Key Enabling Technologies Photonics21 Vice president Giorgio Anania will represent Photonics21 in the High
Level Industry Advisory Group on Key Enabling Technologies. This advisory group
has been set up by the European Commission in order to provide strategic advice
to the five Key Enabling Technologies photonics, biotechnology, nanotechnology,
advanced materials and micro- and nanoelectronics. These Key Enabling
Technologies have been designated by the European Commission in September 2009.
The High Level Industry Advisory Group is composed of 27 members. A first
meeting is planned to take place within the next month.
Please find the
list of members of the high level group here.
You can find more information about the Key Enabling Technologies initiative here.
Successful
launch of an EU Technology Platform - however room for improvement in forming
national clusters and platforms
Clusters play an important role in Europe’s efforts to successfully
promote innovation within the European reform agenda for growth and jobs.
The EU Commission DG Information Society and Media now published a
status report on how Europe’s photonic landscape organized their networking and
forming of photonics communities. They also look into the current achievements
and future challenges - lining out an SWOT analysis and proposing actions for a
wider deployment on photonics.
“The RDI potential in photonics has not yet been fully exploited in
Europe” the report concludes, however noting, that since the founding of
Photonics21 as a European Technology Platform (ETP) in 2005 progress was made
in setting up either Photonic Innovation Clusters or National Technology Platforms.
However, so the findings of the report, “direct and visible links
between academic research and industries is sometimes lacking at a national
level” which so the valuation, leads to a waste of expertise und an
underperforming use of synergies in Research, Development and Innovation. It
also results, so the reporters, in an “only partial recognition for photonics
at political levels and very few specific regional/national funding programs”.
Following the analysis of the important role of photonics as one of the
seven Key Enabling Technologies (KET), the report strongly suggests:
enhanced
efforts for forming national clusters/platforms,
improve the
efficiency of existing networking bodies
broadening
cluster/platform focus above specific niche markets
include
more actors along the value chain - mainly in the end-use sectors.
Launch of the European Initiative NANOfutures - The European Integration and Innovaton Platform in Nanotechnology The European Initiative on Nanotechnology Nanofutures was officially launched on
the 15 and 16 June 2010 in Gijón, Spain. Paolo Matteazzi, Chair of NANOfutures
gave the opening address to the more than 450 participants. Christos Tokamanis,
Head of Unit “Nano and converging Sciences and Technologies”, of the European
Commission DG Research, introduced the European Technology Integration platform
in nanotechnology NANOfutures and its overall aims and direction to the
audience.
The project is run by D’Appolonia, Nanofutures Association Asbl. and
Fundación Prodintec. The main objective of the cross ETP platform NANOfutures is
the development and dissemination of an integrated 10 year Industrial and
Research Roadmap for Nanotechnology in Europe with a detailed medium term
implementation plan. Furthermore, NANOfutures aims to create synergies among
European Technology Platforms related to nanotechnology, to identify key
strategic nanotechnology nodes which address cross-sectorial issues.
The General Assembly of NANOfutures is coordinated through the NANOfutures
Steering Committee which is composed of 11 ETPs representatives and 10 Working
Group Chairs. Photonics21 is part of the Steering Committee.
Photonics21 members are invited to get involved in NANOfutures. You can
subscribe for free to the NANOfutures website www.nanofutures.eu . You will
be then keep updated on coming NANOfutures events and have access to the
NANOfutures participants database. Furthermore, you can actively participate to
one of the following NANOfutures Horizontal Working Groups by subscribing via
e-mail to the relevant work group chair:
Regulation
Research & Technology
Regional/National Networking
Standardisation
Skills and Education
Industrial Safety Strategy
·Industrialisation & Nanomanufacturing
·Communication
·Technology Transfer and Innovation Financing
·Nanosafety
As part of the initiative, Photonics21 can actively influence future
photonics research and innovation in Europe which is related to nanotechnology.
Moreover,
you can inform about latest news, events and download relevant publications.
Photonics21 invites you to have a closer look at the website.
The ERA comprises all research
and development activities, programmes and policies in Europe which involve a
transnational perspective. Together, they enable researchers, research
institutions and businesses to increasingly circulate, compete and co-operate
across borders. Furthermore, the ERA aims to provide them access to a
Europe-wide open space for knowledge and technologies in which transnational
synergies and complementarities are fully exploited.
The Directorate General
Information Society and Media organizes the ICT2010 event which will take place
from the 27-29 September 2010 in Brussels. During the event, you will have the
opportunity to learn about new calls, e.g. the Future Internet PPP call and
call 7. Furthermore, the event offers you networking opportunities with other
proposers. Photonics21 will have an information stand at the exhibition and
inform you about ongoing activities within the European photonics community.
The registration for the ICT2010 event is now open.
Recently, the European Optical Society (EOS) – the
umbrella society for the European optics and photonics community – announced a
new member society: the Portuguese Society for the Development of Optics and
Photonics (Sociedade Portuguesa para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento em Óptica
e Fotónica - SPOF).
“We just
recently had the pleasure to welcome SPOF to EOS and we appreciate their
decision to join us very much”, says EOS president Hans
Peter Herzig. “By now EOS only had
individual members from Portugal. With SPOF, the number of Portuguese members within
EOS grows and those that were EOS members already now have a national umbrella
society to represent their interests within EOS.”
SPOF was founded in November 2009 in order to
aggregate research, higher education, industries and all Portuguese
institutions and individuals interested or committed to the development of
optics and photonics in Portugal. The President of the Board, Manuel Filipe
Costa, will represent SPOF in the EOS Scientific Advisory Committee. He will be
supported by the SPOF vice-president Rogério Nogueira.
After the Latvian Optical Society (LOS), the
Rozhdestvensky Optical Society (ROS) and the Ukrainian Society of Pure and
Applied Optics (USPAO), the Portuguese Society for the Development of Optics
and Photonics (SPOF) is the fourth national optical society to join EOS within
the last twelve months.With SPOF, EOS
now has more than 20 national optical member societies from all over Europe.
InterOpto 2010 will bring together the international
photonics community
The
Optoelectronic Industry and Technology Development Association (OITDA) is the
organiser of the InterOpto 2010 (International Optoelectronics Exhibition 2010) which will take place
from the 29 September to the 1 October 2010 in Yokohama. This international
trade show unites advanced technologies of photonics, optoelectronics and
lasers from Japan and abroad.
You can find any further information as well as
the exhibitor list here.
The Global Plastic Electronics Conference & Exhibition will take place
from the 19 - 21 October 2010 in Dresden, Germany. For the first time it will
be held together with SEMICON Europa 2010. Both events will be in the
international focus for new developments in the electronic industries. About
8000 professionals from science and industry are expected to attend the
combined event.
The Plastic Electronics Conference & Exhibition 2010 brings together
worldwide expertise with leading global research scientists and top-class
industry partners. The program will include speakers e.g. from Philips
Lighting, OSRAM, Merck, Samsung, Cambridge University and Stanford University.
In addition to that, there will be more than 100 further expert lectures. The 6
topic areas will cover:
organic
electronics,
displays,
organic
photovoltaics,
lighting,
integrated
smart systems and
mixed
organic-inorganic electronics.
The adjacent exhibition offers the opportunity to present demonstrators,
services and products as well as the chance for networking opportunities.
The Plastic Electronic Conference & Exhibition 2010 and the SEMICON Europa
2010 both take place within the Converging
Electronics Week. Enterprise-tours to local businesses and expert workshops
on organic electronics and semiconductor technology will take place in addition
to both conferences.
You can find any further information on the following website here:
The
European Commission Directorates General for research, information Society and
Media, Energy, and for Mobility and Transport will held a joint Information Day on Research PPPs which
will take place on the 9 July 2010 in the Charlemagne Building, rue de la Loi
170, Brussels. The event aims to inform you about the progress regarding the
research PPPs and the Cross-thematic Coordinated Calls related to them.
Participants can get in contact with other potential proposers and partners.
You also have the possibility to present your own project idea. For any further
information, the draft programme and the online registration please visit: 
Commissioner
Neelie Kroes recently introduced the so called “Digital Agenda”, the first of seven flagship initiatives under the Europe 2020 strategy, which aims to
support Europe’s way out of the crisis by smart, sustainable and inclusive
growth. 
Photonics21 Vice president Giorgio Anania will represent Photonics21 in the High
Level Industry Advisory Group on Key Enabling Technologies. This advisory group
has been set up by the European Commission in order to provide strategic advice
to the five Key Enabling Technologies photonics, biotechnology, nanotechnology,
advanced materials and micro- and nanoelectronics. These Key Enabling
Technologies have been designated by the European Commission in September 2009.
The High Level Industry Advisory Group is composed of 27 members. A first
meeting is planned to take place within the next month.
The European Initiative on Nanotechnology Nanofutures was officially launched on
the 15 and 16 June 2010 in Gijón, Spain. Paolo Matteazzi, Chair of NANOfutures
gave the opening address to the more than 450 participants. Christos Tokamanis,
Head of Unit “Nano and converging Sciences and Technologies”, of the European
Commission DG Research, introduced the European Technology Integration platform
in nanotechnology NANOfutures and its overall aims and direction to the
audience. 
The
European Research Area (ERA) portal has been launched recently at 
