Photonics Driving Economic Growth in Europe - Photonics21

2. Photonics Research and Innovation Challenges
2.7 Education, Training &
Disruptive Research
Main socio-economic challenges addressed
Major progress is needed both on advanced
research, and on education and training
of highly-skilled workforce, if photonics is to
address successfully the major socio-econom-
ical challenges facing Europe, ranging from
health care to security, from energy saving
to efficient and clean industrial production,
and from environmental protection to fast
and efficient communications.
Indeed, the industrialised world and developing
countries alike have to address the problems of
sustainability and quality of life, and these will
require new approaches and solutions. Photonics,
in recognition of its strategic significance and pervasiveness
throughout many industrial sectors,
has been identified as one of the Key Enabling
Technologies for Europe. Not only does advanced
photonics research offer new technical solutions
for existing problems, but it also paves the way to
as yet unimagined applications. The education and
training of high-level professionals and a skilled
workforce, including technicians, will allow innovation
in photonics to be sustained, thus ensuring
continued economic growth and employment.
Major photonics needs
Three main photonics fields have been identified
that must be addressed by advanced research to
tackle the main societal challenges and produce
innovative solutions across the sector:
n Nanophotonics (including graphene photonics,
metamaterials, and plasmonics). These offer
enormous improvements in sensing, imaging,
and energy generation.
n Quantum optics and quantum information.
This technology will revolutionise the field of
computing, data processing and secure communications,
but also has the potential to impact
the field of sensing.
n Extreme light (including high power, extreme
wavelengths and ultra-short pulses). This technology
will broaden the application of lightmatter
interactions, thereby opening up innovative
new techniques for sensing, imaging,
material characterisation, material processing,
and advanced manufacturing, and also playing
a major role in fundamental studies.
Achieving these goals requires specific actions in
education and training, aimed at addressing three
specific target groups – young minds, professionals,
and society at large. The main actions identified
to address this are:
n outreach towards young minds, the general
public and political authorities, aimed both at
attrac ting more students, and at creating a
strong consensus and awareness of the importance
of photonics.
Education and training of
high-level professionals
and a skilled workforce,
including technicians, will
Hands-on training during a
Photonics Laboratory course
at VUB. © NA, VUB Brussels
83
allow innovation in photonics
to be sustained, thus ensuring
continued economic growth
and employment.