Photonics on Europe’s Horizon

With many in the field of photonics eagerly awaiting the start in 2014 of the European Union’s new research and innovation program, a presentation on the new framework program, Horizon 2020, will lead off the topics to be discussed at SPIE Photonics Europe in Brussels in April.

Thierry Van der Pyl, director of Components and Systems within the Information Society and Media Directorate at the EU, will open the plenary sessions at SPIE Photonics Europe with a talk on the role photonics research and innovation will play in the new research funding program. He will address some of the main ingredients needed for the success for photonics research and innovation under Horizon 2020, including the key role to be played by close partnerships between industry and academia and between public and private sources of finance. (For more on opportunities for photonics under Horizon 2020, see related article.)

Held at the Square Brussels Meeting Centre 16-19 April, SPIE Photonics Europe will host more than 1400 presentations in 18 conferences. Photonics industry leaders and researchers will provide new research in several technical areas including:

• High-power fiber laser systems
• Optofluidics
• Plasmonics and other nanotechnologies
• Disruptive organic photonics and biophotonics
• Laser and amplifier technologies

The Photonics Innovation Village and European Networks will be part of the exhibition during the week. This is the fifth time SPIE Photonics Europe has hosted the Photonics Innovation Village, a competition designed to support and encourage the transfer of optics/photonics research and technology into new and useful products.

Organized by Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the Photonics Innovation Village provides a forum for 17 competitors from teams at universities, non-profit institutions, and research centers who receive free exhibition space and a chance to win up to €1500 in prize money to fund further research.

Competitors for 2012 include researchers developing 3D imaging and measurement systems, disposable molecular sensors, portable spectrometers, and other novel devices.

Among the many special events planned for SPIE Photonics Europe are an industry program that will provide an overview of the photonics markets and manufacturing opportunities as well as:

• Plasmonics in the Infrared workshop, sponsored by the FP7 project PLAISIR
• SPIE Fellows luncheon, with presentation on optical sensing by Stephen G. Anderson, SPIE industry and market strategist
• Industrial workshops held by Lovalite/Lumerical and Schott AG
• A workshop on the integrated approaches to the study of historical glass, sponsored by the New Archaeological Research Network for Integrating Approaches to Ancient Material Studies (NARNIA)
• SPIE Women in Optics networking luncheon
• Professional development seminar

The Hot Topics plenary events will feature SPIE member John Dudley (France) discussing nonlinear optics as well as SPIE Fellows Lihong Wang (USA) giving a presentation on photoacoustic tomography and Demetri Psaltis (Switzerland) discussing optofluidics for solar energy.

Other plenary speakers and their topics:

Finlay Colville (UK) on manufacturing technologies for silicon solar cells and thin-film panels

Kyriacos Kalli (Cyprus) on the next generation of fiber sensors

Andreas Tunnerman (Germany) on high-power fiber laser systems

Berit Wessler (Germany) on solid state lighting

General chairs for SPIE Photonics Europe 2012 are SPIE Fellows Francis Berghmans (Belgium) and Jürgen Popp (Germany);Peter Hartmann (Germany), a member of the SPIE Board of Directors; and Ronan Burgess, scientific officer at the European Commission (Belgium).

Read more about European research projects in this issue of SPIE Professional:

• Horizon 2020: Europe's new program for research and innovation
• EURO-FOS: Pan European Photonic Network
• PLATON project: merging plasmonics and silicon nanophotonics

More information about SPIE Photonics Europe: spie.org/pe.

The successful SPIE Student Chapter Leadership Workshop comes to Europe for the first time this year at SPIE Photonics Europe in Brussels.

SPIE Student Chapter officers from around the world will have a full day of professional development training and networking on Sunday, 15 April, in advance of the four-day symposium.

SPIE Student Chapter members will then present their research and outreach activities in the exhibition hall on Monday, 16 April.

SPIE is also hosting a SPIE Student Chapter information session on Monday for those interested in starting a SPIE Student chapter and a lunch with the experts, open to all students.

As part of the day-long activities on Sunday, popular lecturer Jean-luc Doumont will facilitate a workshop on leadership in organizations, focusing on motivation and the various leadership styles needed to succeed in a volunteer organization.

RSVP and more information by email to students@spie.org.

Have a question or comment about this article? Write to us at spieprofessional@spie.org.

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