#next.photonics – is the title of the upcoming Photonics Public Private Partnership Annual Meeting which will be held on the 28 and 29 March 2017 in the Le Plaza Hotel in Brussels.

Kicking off the discussion for the future strategic direction of the Photonics PPP in Europe will be the main focus of the General Assembly and the Work Group sessions. The event further provides you with information about the Photonics PPP achievements, latest news on EU calls and financing opportunities beyond the Horizon 2020 programme.

Be part of the change and do not miss this chance to network with the European Commission, Parliament and Regions and with colleagues from Photonics Industry and Science.

Event Programme
To view the planned event programme you can download the DRAFT AGENDA.

Online Registration
Please register via the link: HTTPS://PHOTONICS.EMENDO-EMEX.DE/REGISTRATION

Accommodation
Le Plaza Hotel (meeting venue)

Contact details of the hotel:

Tel. +32 2 278 01 00
RESERVATIONS@LEPLAZA.BE

Other hotels nearby the meeting venue

You can download a LIST OF OTHER HOTELS CLOSE TO THE LE PLAZA HOTEL.

Sponsors
The Photonics Public Private Partnership Annual Meeting 2017 is kindly sponsored by:

The ICT30-PHOTONICS KET (Key Enabling Technology) InfoDay took place in Brussels on 27/1/17. The objective was to inform the constituency about the various topics addressed by the call. A number of presentations were given by Commission representatives and prospective proposers.

A good number of participants, from 17 different countries, participated in the InfoDay, some of whom were new to the H2020 programme.

You can view the recordings of the Photonics PPP Info Day at the European Commission website.

The EPRISE project, "Empowering Photonics through Regional Innovation Strategies in Europe", brings together nine leading photonics innovation clusters and national photonics platforms around Europe with the aim of supporting companies who use photonics as a key enabling technology to enter into four market sectors where Europe holds a leading position, namely, Medical Technologies, Pharmaceuticals, Agriculture and Food.

Photonics PPP project COBIOPHAD – Rapid allergy detector to beat penicillin deaths

Sufferers of hypersensitivity to common antibiotics like penicillin and amoxicillin will soon find help with a new allergy detector, a low-cost, bio-photonic device that will be 6 times faster and 100 times more efficient than current technology, providing more targeted treatment for millions of patients.

Over 2.5 million people in Europe and more than 5.4 million Americans suffer from hypersensitivity to Beta Lactam Antibiotics (BLCs), the most commonly prescribed drugs that contain the penicillin family, with up to 10 percent of people reporting an allergy.
Despite its effectiveness, many people avoid penicillin and its relatives fearing a severe allergic reaction, where symptoms can include wheezing, coughing, breathing problems, tissue swelling, or in some serious cases anaphylaxis, requiring urgent medical attention.
Currently, anaphylaxis leads to 500–1,000 deaths per year in the United States, 20 deaths per year in the United Kingdom, and 15 deaths per year in Australia. It is thought that drugs may be accountable for as many as 1 in 2 anaphylactic deaths
With existing in-vitro allergy detection technology delivering a waiting time of over 3 hours and a cost of €30 per allergen, a team of European researchers running the Horizon 2020 project COBIOPHAD ('Compact Biophotonic Platform for Drug Allergy Diagnosis'), aim to improve this with their scanning device employing the latest photonics technology.
Similar in size to a small notebook computer, the detector, which could be used in hospitals in as little as five years, examines a tiny plasma sample from the patient's blood, producing a result in less than 30 minutes and at a cost of €2.40 per allergen, a twelfth of the current price.
It works by 'reading' a compact disc-like cartridge with a laser, similar to the way an everyday CD ROM drive in your computer works. The cartridge contains pre-loaded Beta Lactam reagents which will recognise a specific Immunoglobulin E (IgE), (the antibody contained in blood that plays a vital part in manifestation of allergy), and a secondary tracer antibody.
When the patient's blood sample is run across the cartridge, if there is a positive response the lgE will recognise the antibiotic and the laser will read the reaction product, leading to an unambiguous detection. The intensity of this signal is related to the levels of hypersensitivity within the patient for ten different targeted Beta Lactams.
Although similar laser-reading tests exist, the COBIPHAD device distinguishes itself not only in terms of speed, cost and size, but also because it has the potential to look at a greater number of samples per disc by testing different drugs at different compartments of the cartridge and avoiding contamination. Exploitation Manager, Dr Ian McKay explains:
"The COBIOPHAD device aims to take drug hypersensitivity detection into a new era: compared to current tests our device can deliver a rapid diagnosis of the main allergenic BLCs in less than half an hour, making it 6 times faster."
"With an improved in vitro diagnostic (IVD), we offer a much more patient-friendly alternative to the invasive and risky in vivo testing. Current IVDs, developed with bulky auto-analysers and based on classical technologies, show poor sensitivity (less than 40%) and detection limits (more than 0.2 kU per litre), analyse only five beta-lactam antibiotics and give false-positive and negative results."
"The COBIOPHAD approach must reach a sensitivity of 80% with a detection limit below 0.1 kU per litre. It deploys an increased multiplexing capability, looking at more samples per disc and examines a greater number of BLCs per sample. As a result the overall system is a hundred times more efficient."
With savings of €27.60 per patient amounting to a colossal €69 million per year from European sufferers, and by significantly reducing the costs from additional hospitalization from allergic reactions to certain drugs creating potential savings in this area of up to €4500 per patient, the COBIOPHAD team have large scale ambitions.

French technology clusters Route des Lasers and Elopsys merge to become ALPHA-RLH

French competitiveness clusters Route des Lasers and Elopsys merged on 1^st January 2017 to become ALPHA-RLH (Route des Lasers & des Hyperfréquences), a technology cluster specializing in photonics, lasers and microwave technologies.
It covers microwave communication, detection, navigation and localization, as well as other emerging technologies for digital healthcare, medical devices, renewable energy, smart buildings, embedded systems, aerospace, automotive clean tech and telecommunications etc.

Hervé G. Floch, Photonics21 Board of Stakeholder member, has been appointed as CEO.
Find more information on: www.alpha-rlh.com

The KTN, in partnership with Hamamatsu, is organising a Photonics in Healthcare event at thestudio Birmingham on 28th February. The event will look at the application of photonic technologies in healthcare and will consider challenges and opportunities in bringing products to market, support for innovation activities in UK and EU, and last but by no means least will look at new photonic product developments in this area.

There will be a keynote from Prof Peter Seitz of ETH Zürich and Chair of the Photonics 21 Sensors Work Group. Other confirmed speakers include Julian Burke, Leica Microsystems; Mark Sims, Leicester Space Research Centre; Myrddin Jones, Innovate UK; Ian Newington, National Institute for Health Research; Tom Harvey, National Centre for Healthcare Photonics; Mark Bradley, University of Edinburgh; Sergei Sokolovsky, Aston University; Hamamatsu; and Jon Exley of Lynton Group.

The event will be of value to companies that are established in the sector or are looking to develop products there, as well photonics/life science academics with an interest in industrial collaboration and commercialisation.

Early registration is recommended, and can be done through the Eventbrite page

The event is kindly sponsored by

PRAXI Network, the technology transfer unit of the Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, in cooperation with the Hellenic Photonics cluster (HPhos) and the Greek Technology Platform in Photonics (PhotonicsGR), have the honor to organize a workshop under the title: "Photonics for Smart Road Transportation". The event is organized in the framework of the European Coordination and Support Action project EuroPho21* and will be held on Friday, 3rd March 2017, at Divani Palace Acropolis Hotel, in Athens, Greece.

Road transport links all regions of the EU with each other and with Europe's principal networks for goods and passenger traffic. It is considered part of the lifeblood of the European economy and single market, delivering goods across Europe fast, efficiently, flexibly and inexpensively. Based on estimations about 44% of goods transported within the EU go by road. People also travel mainly by road, with private cars accounting for 73% of passenger traffic. However, road transport is a vital economic sector in its own right, employing about 5 million people across the EU and generating close to 2% of its GDP. Today, the road transport sector in the EU is facing a number of challenges for efficient and safe operation with a minimum impact on our environment.

Photonics is a multidisciplinary domain mastering light and underpinning technologies with a series of applications in several markets, including transport. It is also one of the six Key Enabling Technologies, which is expected by European Commission to shape tomorrow's future and drive innovation in a wide range of industries. The aim of this event is to bring closer the photonics community and the transport stakeholders in order to address main problems and challenges that road transportation faces today. The event addresses all key stakeholders required for developing industrial and / or Horizon 2020, and / or national projects in the area of road transportation, among others: highway construction and operation enterprises, key transport technology providers, photonics industrial and scientific representatives, policy makers, etc.

The event includes the following 3 sessions:
• European and National funding for Smart, Green and Integrated Transport
• The role and the perspectives of construction / operation enterprises
• Photonics technologies for Smart Road Transportation

For more information, please visit the event's website

Join – PIC International Conference, 7-8 March 2017, Brussels, Belgium

Sales of PICs are soaring, with their deployment helping to boost the capacity of networks and data centres. To aid this industry, we are strengthening the relationships between the makers and the users of these integrated circuits by organising the 2nd PIC International, a global conference dedicated to this industry.

In 2017, the conference grows to a new auditorium to welcome more industry leaders and rising stars driving the next generation of photonic integrated circuits. Speakers confirmed to date include IBM, Infinera, Seagate, Luxtera, imec, VTT Research, the European Space Agency, and many more, view the agenda to date here - view abstracts.

Key themes include a deep dive into PIC platforms, manufacturing solutions, device deployment in data centres, telecoms and a full update on activity in emerging markets such as life sciences. Full details on all of the conference tracks together with advance speaker profiles are now available to view on www.picinternational.net

Early bird registration
The 2nd PIC International event brings together the best in class of the integrated photonics industry. Book your place before 30th November 2016 and take advantage of our early bird discounted rate, saving €100.

Be a part of it - speaking and sponsorship/exhibiting opportunities available

Sponsorship information: http://mediapack.picinternational.net/

The sponsor packages provide companies with an influential industry platform to educate and penetrate the world wide integrated photonics industry by a multitude of marketing methods over a 6 month period.

Tel: +44 (0)2476 718970
Website: www.picinternational.net
Email: info@picinternational.net

On 9^th of March 2017 a workshop on photonics in smart farming and foresting will be held in the Physics Faculty of Warsaw University of Technology and will be organized by the Polish Technological Platform on Photonics.

Agriculture and forestry are one of the most natural and critical parts of the economy. Farming affects our environment not less than industry. The unreasonable usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides changes our natural environment or even cause great damages. The current technology allows us to make better use of existing resources and additives. To get this monitored farming and foresting do need better control systems. That is where optoelectronical systems can be used.

The event will be of value to companies that are established in the sector or are looking to develop products there, as well photonics/life science academics with an interest in industrial collaboration and commercialisation.
For more information, please visit the event's website

Join – German Biosensor Symposium 20-23 March 2017, Potsdam, Germany

The German Biosensor Symposium is a bi-annual event, first held 1999 in Munich. After 2001 in Potsdam it was held in several locations, the hot spots of Biosensor research in Germany. In 2017, it will be extended to the first European Biosensor Symposium. The Symposium not only draws attention to young scientists to make their first steps in their academic career but also attract seniors and companies to learn about the most recent trends of biosensor research and technology, but also to see who the drivers of the development are.

When: March 20-23, 2017
Where: University of Potsdam, Campus Griebnitzsee, 14483 Potsdam, Germany

Abstract submission + registration open September 1, 2016.

All important information (Topics, Deadlines etc.) can be found under: http://www.ebs2017.com/

Join – International Conference on Industrial Laser Processing (JNPLI), 13-14 September 2017, Strasbourg, France

The 2017 International Conference on Industrial Laser Processing (JNPLI) will occur on 13^th & 14^th September 2017 at the convention center in Strasbourg / France. JNPLI is a major event dedicated to industrial laser technologies and their advances. The JNPLI offers an overview of the latest innovations and recently implemented laser applications.

The organizers of the JNPLI 2017 are: the CLUB LASER & PROCÉDÉS (CLP), the EUROPEAN MATERIALS RESEARCH SOCIETY (E-MRS) and IREPA LASER.
This event is supported by ICube and the University of Strasbourg.

The main topics for the conference will be related to:

• Laser processing in Smart Factory & Industry 4.0,
• Additive manufacturing on metals or polymers,
• Joining of dissimilar materials,
• Surface texturing & surface treatment,
• Transparent materials processing,
• Process monitoring & control,
• Beam shaping & delivery,
• New laser developments,
• Power scaling of ultrafast lasers,
• Frequency conversion.

Here is the link for submission: click here

Your submission has to be send to: communication@laserenligne.fr

The conference program will include several thematic sessions and many networking opportunities between attendees. Simultaneous translation will be available. You'll also have access to coffee-breaks and a buffet for lunch.

This new edition is held simultaneously with ESPACE LASER 2017, the European Trade Fair for Laser Processing in the Industry of the Future. Resolutely industrial, ESPACE LASER is the only trade fair in France dedicated to materials and laser techniques for the industry. It displays all the production techniques and new laser additive manufacturing technologies for the development and rapid production of complex parts and customized products.

The LED professional Symposium +Expo (LpS) is an annual event and meeting point for experts from international lighting industries and research, which takes place at the Festspielhaus in Bregenz, Austria.

With about 100 lectures, several workshops, 1,600 expected visitors and around 100 exhibitors, this event is one of the world's leading lighting technology conferences.

The seventh LpS will cover trends and technologies for future lighting solutions under the motto: "Smart Technologies for Lighting Innovations" from September 26 to 28, 2017.

Early-Bird-Tickets are available at www.LpS2017.com/registration.

Get more information on the event's website.