INTERVIEW decisions made by authorities can be influenced by external political pressures. In general, regretfully, the photonics sector is too small to be a priority for public authorities. As a result, we cannot solely rely on governments to ensure the competitiveness of our industry. We need to take matters into our own hands and strengthen the industry from within.
How can photonics become more competitive? A competitive industry operates in a continuous cycle: companies develop products, sell them, generate revenue, reinvest in R & D, improve their products, and keep innovating. This leads to job creation, further investment, and growth. Some companies get acquired, some merge, and new startups emerge, maintaining a dynamic ecosystem. This is the model of a sustainable and competitive industry. Unfortunately, this cycle did not happen in solar, lighting, or even semiconductors in Europe. Since we cannot depend on governments, my vision for a competitive European photonics industry is based on fostering strong collaboration. Europe has around 1,000 photonics companies, and 86 % of EPIC members are small businesses, typically with 30 to 50 employees. The legal definition of an SME sets the threshold till 250 employees, but in photonics, a company with over 100 employees can already be considered large.
What is your strategy to increase the competitiveness of the photonics ecosystem? My strategy is simple: these 1,000 companies need to know each other, understand what each one does, collaborate effectively, and build a strong ecosystem. We work directly with CEOs and CTOs, as they have the best overview of their companies ' capabilities. Our goal is to connect these key decision-makers, fostering trust and cooperation, which will ultimately drive innovation and competitiveness in European photonics.
Can you describe some of the key initiatives launched by EPIC? EPIC has spearheaded several impactful initiatives to support the photonics industry. Among them are:
• The Day of Photonics – an international event to raise awareness about photonics and its applications;
• The Photonics Index – a stock market index dedicated to photonics-related companies;
• The Photonics Sustainability Awards – recognizing efforts toward sustainability in the industry.
As an agile, privately funded organization operating through membership, EPIC has the ability to explore diverse activities and innovate. We experiment— if something works, we pursue it; if not, we move on. The key is always prioritizing what benefits the industry. Some organizations are reluctant to collaborate, preferring to maintain their own“ kingdoms,” but EPIC believes in fostering openness and innovation. For example, we have built the largest photonics employment website, with over 12,000 job listings, simply because we identified the need and took action.
What are the next steps for EPIC? One of our primary objectives now is to engage more deeply with end-users. Over the years, EPIC has earned the trust of the photonics community and built a stable, actively engaged membership. Now, we need to extend that engagement to the integrators and end-users of photonics technology. If we want photonics to spread into more applications, we need to listen to end-users— understand their needs, challenges, and aspirations. My goal is to convince them that EPIC provides a trusted environment where they can openly share their requirements, enabling the photonics community to collaborate and develop solutions that enhance their products and manufacturing processes.
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