The Photonics Leadership Group aims to:–
- Secure and raise the UK’s position as one of the top 5 photonics manufacturers and innovators globally.
- Foster a strong and dynamic UK photonics supply chain from components to integrated systems for applications from healthcare to defence and advanced manufacturing.
- Provide a clear voice for the UK photonics industry emphasising the importance of photonics in solutions to societal challenges and productivity supporting continued economic growth.
- Maximise new photonics innovation and its commercialisation in both established applications e.g. communications and emerging areas e.g. quantum, strengthening UK industry, enhancing exports and attracting inward investment to enhance the competitiveness and growth of the UK economy.
- Foster continuous strategic dialogue between the photonics industry, government, academia and support agencies, in the UK and Europe, to create an efficient environment for innovation and translation into manufacturing.
To achieve these aims the PLG works with senior stakeholders from across the UK industry, including major industrial manufactures and exporters, globally leading researchers, high growth SMEs and support agencies.
Photonics encompasses all of the technologies, products and processes around the emission, manipulation and detection of light. Photonics provides the key functionality in a vast range of products e.g. fibre optics powering the internet, lasers welding safer more efficient cars, to microscopes and instrumentation essential to modern healthcare. Photonics is a global market worth €300bn and is forecast to grow by 8-10% annually to €550bn by 2020.
