Leading researcher and head of the Laboratory of Organic Materials, Dr. Phys. Aivars Vembris attended the Annual PHOTONICS21 Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, from May 14th to 15th. This gathering is significant as it serves as a platform to address new challenges and research topics within the field of photonics.
This year’s PHOTONICS21 Annual Meeting focused on the future of photonics in Europe. A high-level panel discussion provided interesting insights into ’Quo Vadis Photonics?’. The presentation of the new photonics market study provided further insights into the economic performance of photonics on a global scale.
Currently, Europe and the rest of the world are grappling with various challenges in the chip industry. A prominent issue is the need for more skilled human resources—a noticeable lack of students opting to pursue a career in the integrated photonic industry. In response to this, the European Union has introduced several programs aimed at supporting research and innovation in the field of photonics.
The Europe Innovation Council administers programs like Pathfinder, Transition, and Accelerator, among others. These programs provide funding opportunities for scientific institutes and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), enabling them to translate innovative ideas from the proof-of-concept stage to Technology Readiness Level 9 (TRL 9).
