Photonics21 Association

The Association is an international non-profit association with scientific purpose governed by the provisions of Title 3 of the Belgium Law of twenty-seventh of June nineteen hundred twenty-one, and its revisions, on non-profit associations, international non-profit associations and foundations.
The purpose of the Association is to enter into the Memorandum of Understanding for the Co-programmed European Partnerships for Photonics in Horizon Europe, which aims to:
- Foster a focused, continuous and synergetic development of key photonics technologies, components and systems in Europe
- Push for the rapid diffusion into the various sectors that critically depend on innovative photonics solutions by early collaboration along value chains
- Fully exploit the potential of photonics for a digital, green and healthy future in Europe
- Securing Technological Sovereignty for Europe by maintaining leadership in core photonics technologies

The Photonics partnership represents a long-term commitment between the European Commission and the Photonics Stakeholders to invest in Europe with the aim of securing Europe's industrial leadership and economic growth in photonics and ist enabled industries. Photonics industry, which is based on about 5000 SMEs across Europe has a highly skilled workforce, and the capability to generate new jobs that attract young people.
The partnership is the basis for a Research and Innovation strategy and more broadly for an industrial strategy in photonics for Europe for the Horizon Europe period and beyond.
On June 23rd, 2021 Photonic21 Association entered into a Co-programmed partnership with the European Commission by signing a Memorandum of Understanding in the frame of a Launch Event.
The main objectives are to strengthen the photonics ecosystem along the value chain support diffusion of photonics technologies and contributes to growth and jobs and raise competitiveness. In detail:
- Foster a focused, continuous and synergetic development of key photonics technologies, components and systems in Europe
- Push for the rapid diffusion into the various sectors that critically depend on innovative photonics solutions by early collaboration along value chains
- Fully exploit the potential of photonics for a digital, green and healthy future in Europe by providing critical components and systems and processes for next generation applications
- Securing Technological Sovereignty for Europe by maintaining leadership in core photonics technologies and in the application of photonics through ensuring common strategic research and investment commitment
Raise the International Competitiveness of Europe’s economy and ensure Long-term Job and Prosperity creation in Europe
- Provide a framework for the shaping of ecosystems to address changes of value creation

Towards this new Photonics partnership in Horizon Europe - succeeding the former Photonics21 cPPP in Horizon 2020 - a Vision Paper was provided as well as a detailed Multiannual Strategic Roadmap: "New Horizons- Securing Europe’s technological sovereignty through Photonics" as well as a new report on "Market data and Industry Report 2020", which shows the impact of Photonics on the main objectives of the European Commission with regard to Technological Sovereignty, Green Deal, Competitiveness and Digital Transformation as well as the success potential of photonics technologies as an innovative growth driver for many end-use applications. Some of the key results can be viewed below:
Photonics Europe demonstrates strong growth and innovation
- EU Photonics industry grew from € 76 bn (2015) to € 103 bn in 2019 – which corresponds to a growth rate of 7% (CAGR) and a multiple of 3x EU GDP growth (2,3 %) and about 5x EU IPI growth (1,5 %)
- Growing faster than many other High-Tech Industries (e.g. the IT industry: 4.5%, Medtech: 4.9%, Microelectronics: 4%
- Photonics industry employs ~ 390.000 people and created ~ 30,000 new jobs between 2015-2019 (a plus of 2,1 %) vs. an EU Manufacturing employment growth of 1 % (CAGR)
- European Photonics maintained its # 2 global market share position behind China
- High Research and Innovation spending rate (Capex & R+I ) of ~ 15 % of turnover on average (up to 25 % in some areas like MedTech)
- Strong core segments are Photonics in Industry 4.0. (> 40 % global market share), Medical Technology (26 %), Environmental Monitoring and Optical Instrumentation as well as Large Instruments and Space (30 % each)

With this highly innovative industry and four recent Nobel Prizes awarded to European scientists for their work in Photonics, Europe is in a very good starting position to accelerate advanced key European initiatives, such as AI, High-Performance Computing, Quantum Communication and Quantum Computing, as well as Smart Cities which all depend on Photonics as the key enabling technology

http://www.photonics21.org

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Photonics21 Association is based on the European Technology Platform Photonics21 which has more than 4000 members from industry, science and research institutes. It was found 2005 and acts on a voluntary basis of its members. One main purpose is to define and align the various partners on the Innovation and Research Topics. The Photoncis21 Association represents the private side of the Public Private Partnership with the EU Commission. The Memorandum of Understanding contract was signed on June 23rd, 2021 in an official Launch Event in the frame of the R+D Days of the European Commission.

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