Optic and Photonic in Europe

Photonics is big business, employing around 246,000 people in Europe (not including subcontractors) and with more than 5,000 companies involved in manufacturing photonics. And the range of places photonics companies and academics can apply for funding is also rather large. These include: the European Commission, with its own Photonics Unit to hand out an estimated € 90m worth of funds over the next year.

Debut

Eurom II (Committee Optics, lasers and laboratory Instrumentary of
the European Precision Mechanical and Optical Industries)
The European Federation Eurom was founded in Brussels in 1958, shortly after the establishment of the European Community. Eurom represents the interests of manufacturers in the European precision mechanical and optical industries in dealings with the EU Commission and other European, national and international institutions especially on the following issues, based upon the Eurom statutes :
    • Commercial policy
    • Sales promotion
    • Collection of European market data
    • Research and development
    • Regulatory affairs
    • Public relations work.

In Eurom’s view it is a fundamental responsibility of the Commission and Council of the European Union to maintain fair conditions of competition both among the European Member States on the one hand and, within the framework of the EU external trade relations, with third countries on the other.

EPIC (European Photonics Industry Consortium)
EPIC’s mission is to build sustainable growth for European Photonics Industries.
We serve our members by providing vital, business development services and commercial and partnering opportunities.
We measure our success in executing this mission by the increasing revenues, profits and capitalizations of our members.
EPIC supports the Photonic Industry by promoting networking between its members and with national and international bodies at the European level. EPIC is directed and funded by its members.
EPIC is working with industries, universities, and the European Commission to build a more competitive photonics industrial sector in the European economic area, capable of both economic and technological growth in a highly competitive world-wide marketplace.

website : www.epic-assoc.com

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PHOTONICS 21
Photonics21 is a voluntary association of industrial enterprises and other stakeholders in the field of photonics in Europe. It unites the majority of the leading Photonics industries and relevant R&D stakeholders along the whole economic value chain throughout Europe. Presently, we can count as members more than 1,000 stakeholders who come from 47 countries.

P21 undertakes to establish Europe as a leader in the development and deployment of Photonics in five industrial areas (Information and Communication, Lighting and Displays, Manufacturing, Life Science and Security) as well as in Education and Training.

Its mission is the coordination of the research and development activities in Europe among all the contributing partners from education, basic research, applied research and development to manufacturing and all relevant applications.
The entry into the "photon century" requires a shared European initiative that enables industry and research to uphold their outstanding initiatives to explore the nearly limitless future applications of light and to reap the expected benefits in terms of creating both jobs and wealth. Many important European industries, from chip manufacturing and lighting, health care and life sciences, to space, defence and the transport and automotive sectors rely on the same fundamental mastery of light. Without strong European leadership in photonics technologies, these industries will be left vulnerable to strong competition from the USA and Asia.

- Lire Photonic in Europe 2008
- Lire Photonic in Europe 2006
- Lire Strategic Agenda
- Lire Program TIC

website : www.photonics21.org

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ERA-SPOT (Strengthening Photonics and Optical Technologies for Europe)
The ERA-SPOT consortium, funded by the European Union (EU) under the Sixth Framework Program for Research and Technological Development, aims to consolidate research funding activities in Optical Technology (OT) throughout Europe. This shall be implemented through the co-ordination of national programs by means of joint actions.

The objectives of ERA-SPOT are:

* to set the stage for the open co-ordination of national research and innovation policies,
* to develop common instruments, mechanisms and strategies for joint activities,
* ultimately, to institutionalize ERA-SPOT for long-term collaboration.

The consortium comprises representatives of all significant OT-related funding programs in six EU Member States, namely:

* Austria: Austrian Research Promotion Agency, FFG acting on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology, BMVIT
* Germany: VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH and Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
* France: Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche and CNRS
* Ireland: Enterprise Ireland, EI
* Slovenia: Ministry for the Higher Education, Science and Technology, MHEST
* Sweden: Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems, VINNOVA

website : www.era-spot.eu

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