The UK government has released a green paper consultation on the next industrial strategy: Invest 2035: the UK’s modern industrial strategy. The strategy will be published in early Spring 2025 alongside the comprehensive spending review. Highlights include a focus on eight growth driving sectors including advanced manufacturing and digital technologies and a 10 year horizon.…
AILU’s highly regarded 2-day International Industrial Lasers Applications Symposium, ILAS 2025, is taking place on Wednesday 26th & Thursday 27th March 2025 at the Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth. The event will include plenary presentations from renowned international speakers, 80 high calibre presentations from industry & academia, and 30 exhibitors demonstrating the latest in laser technology.…
The Photonics Leadership Group has released five future government policy actions that are critical to support the continued growth of the UK Photonics industry. Industry call on the new government to prioritise action in these areas to ensure UK photonics continues to thrive and deliver growth three times greater than the overall economy. 1. Increase…
UK government has announced new independent UK Semiconductor Institute will be setup to bring together Government, universities and the private sector to support key components of the Government’s Semiconductor Strategy to grow the sector, which is backed by £1bn. Building on the key recommendations of the semiconductor infrastructure project led by the Institute for Manufacturing…
In the latest report from Photonics21 and Tematys, Insights into the dynamic photonics market (2019-2022), the global photonics components and systems market reached €820 billion ($865, £645 billion) in 2022, up from €634 billion in 2019. The compound annual growth rate of 6.8% coincides with that reported for the photonics components market alone by SPIE…
On 12 March 2024 the UK Export Control Unit announced amendments to the export controls and association regulation coming into force from 1 April 2024 The amendments expand export control requirements around:- Companies and researchers are recommended to consult the changes in detail to understand how they may impact their operations and to put in…
The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Rt Hon Michelle Donelan, MP welcomed the UK’s reassociate to Horizon Europe at The Royal Society on 12 February. Joined by Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, the UK’s association to Horizon Europe was applauded by all. The UK was noted…
Photonics21 has launched the Photonics21 Innovation Award 2024. This dedicated Innovation Challenge seeks to push for more entrepreneurship in photonics. The Photonics21 Innovation Award addresses PhD students, master students, young entrepreneurs, and makers alike who have an idea for a photonics product that can transform into a real business or product. This idea can be…
The 2023 update of the UK Photonics Landscape is now available on the PLG’s YouTube channel. As presented to the Princess Royal during her visit to SPIE’s Photonex in October 2023. Further details are available in PLG’s UK Photonics 2023: the Hidden Economy report.
UK photonics has grown into a £15.2 billion industry, with like-for-like revenue growth from 2020 to 2022 of over 7%. Profit growth has been even higher at 9% over two years, whilst employment in the industry has grown at 3.2% in the same period. 79,100 people are now employed in photonics in the UK. Strong…
