Photonics Driving Economic Growth in Europe - Photonics21

0. Executive Summary
that will allow mass customisation, rapid manu-
facturing and zero-fault production. Photonics
will also stimulate the lighting transition from
incumbent technology to a low energy consumption,
digital technology, built around LEDs,
OLEDs, sensors and microprocessor intelligence,
contributing to saving energy and money, and
increasing visual comfort and well being.
n For inclusive, innovative and secure societies,
photonics will increase information access
for all citizens, through the development of the
future Internet infrastructure with multi-terabit
capacity, while reducing the networks’ carbon
footprint and the overall cost per bit. Such
Internet infrastructure will leverage the development
of new products and sophisticated applications
services that fully exploit this connectivity,
with huge potential impact on European society
in all areas of human activities. Photonics based
sensing and imaging will enable higher levels of
security and safety through the use of sophisticated
surveillance technology and detection of
unauthorised goods, as well as contributing
to a greener environment through providing
advanced pollution detection.
The Photonics PPP will work closely with other
players involved in addressing these societal
challenges, in particular with Smart Cities, Active
and Healthy Ageing, and Resource-Efficiency.
Implementing the Photonics PPP
Multiannual Roadmap
Implementing the Photonics Multiannual Roadmap,
which has been widely endorsed by the Photonics
community in Europe, will be the key objective for
a Photonics PPP in Horizon 2020. The roadmap
recommends that Europe needs to strengthen its
ability to make the critical tran sition from successful
innovation in photonics to the industrial deployments
necessary for job creation. Bridging this gap
must be a key objective of the Photonics PPP. For
photonics to yield its full poten tial as an enabling
technology, it will be critical that the inherent synergies
within the sector are exploited through integrated
research aimed towards identified market
solutions, rather than towards isolated components
or applications.
Finally, it is recognised that disruptive photonics
research is of major importance for maintaining
its long-term competitiveness. Therefore, photonics
disruptive research, and in particular, research
into Organic and Large Area Electronics, will play
a significant role within the PPP.
Energy-efficient lighting
contributes to a sustainable
environment. © Fotolia
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