Photonics
Photonics is the science and technology of light. This includes lasers, optical systems and components, as well as fibre optics. Photonics is a £13.5 billion industry in the UK, with the technology used across various UK industries and in society, from optical communications and data storage to laser sensors for autonomous vehicles.
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The Innovate UK Business Connect Enabling Technologies team supports 1,500+ photonics and photonics-enabled companies, and the vibrant UK photonics research base in the UK.
Our people create connections between photonics professionals and end-users in various sectors, from healthcare to AgriFood. This helps them fast-track the innovative technologies they’re working on.
We support the growth of UK photonics and are determined to promote the sector widely. We do this by working with photonics and related stakeholder groups and associations across the UK.
Our team has a deep expertise including photonics, laser, fibre, optical, optics, photovoltaic and imaging.
Innovate UK Business Connect is a partner in the European project that supports the Photonics21 platform. Photonics21 aims to establish Europe as a leader in the development of photonics technologies within applications fields such as ICT, lighting, industrial manufacturing, life science, safety, education and training.
We are proud to have contributed to the groundbreaking horizon scanning report “Future horizons for photonics research 2030 and beyond”, released in September 2020 by the Photonics Leadership Group (PLG) and the All-Party Parliamentary Group in Photonics and Quantum. We used our experience of online collaboration to support PLG in bringing together online 26 of the UK’s leading photonics researchers from 20 different institutions to ask “what will be the focus of photonics research a decade and more from now?”.
Our current focus in this area
Related Opportunities
European Space Agency: Commercial Applications of Space Weather Data
Open from 19/02/25: deadline tbc
ESA seek space-enabled services and products related to observation, monitoring, analysis and modelling of the state of the Sun and (inter)planetary environments.
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Innovate UK Smart grants: November 2024
Opens: 14/11/2024 Closes: 22/01/2025
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £15m for game changing, commercially viable R&D that can significantly impact the UK economy.
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Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP): 2024 to 2025 Round 5
Opens: 09/12/2024 Closes: 12/02/2025
UK registered academic institutions, RTOs or Catapults can apply for a share of up to £9m to fund innovation projects with businesses or not for profits.
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Related Events and Recordings
Related News
11/11/2022
Quantum Leap: UK quantum tech showcases enormous progress at industry get-together
Over 1,000 delegates packed into the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London on Friday 11 November to see the great technological strides made in the field of quantum technology at the 6th Quantum Showcase.
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22/04/2024
UKRI invest £8m into the Workforce Foresighting Hub
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, has announced an £8 million investment into the Workforce Foresighting Hub programme.