Photonics industry to invest €100 billion in R&I in new Horizon Europe partnership

Brussels, 17 June 2019

A new position paper published today shows the photonics industry’s commitment to invest up to €100 billion in R&I throughout the next scientific research initiative, Horizon Europe, 2021-2027, in an ambitious new Public Private Partnership with the European Commission.

The paper argues the move is essential for the digital transformation based on deep technologies, and for Europe to remain competitive in the face of ambitious funding for photonics from China, South Korea and America.

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

Photonics21 Vice President Bernd Schulte said:
We firmly believe that Europe needs to become more ambitious now and match the aspiring investments from other regions of the world in deep technologies to stay competitive. The Photonics industry is willing to team up with the European Commission and jointly invest in the future of Europe.

Photonics21 will ask the European Commission to facilitate a Horizon Europe Photonics Partnership that doubles the annual commitment to €200 million, or €1.4 billion over the course of the next research funding initiative.

Photonics21 Vice President Giorgio Anania said:
We have already demonstrated that every 1 Euro invested by the European Commission is leveraged by 5 Euros from Photonics SMEs. Moreover, an independent expert group of the European Commission rated the Photonics PPP best in class.

You will find the new position paper here:
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Contact Swissphotonics NTN
Dr. Christoph S. Harder
President Swissphotonics NTN
+41 79 219 90 51


4. July 2019, Beni Muller + Iris Bollinger