Round Table Policy Discussion

PHOTON 26 introduces a new and exciting feature – a Conference Roundtable Policy Session on Optics, Photonics and related fields influencing decision-making in the UK and EU. We will plumb the depths of Optics & Photonics issues affecting professionals, practitioners, organisations, and, or statutory bodies whether in academia or industry.

This year the PHOTON Organising Committee has teamed up with the European Optical Society (EOS), an umbrella organisation for national Optical Societies across Europe, to hold this policy session on Optics and Photonics.

Optics and Photonics provide key enabling technologies (KETs) for Telecommunications, Medicine, Space, Metrology, Quantum Technologies, Defence & Security, Atmospheric and Climate sciences, as well as many other areas of manufacturing. These drive the overarching Digital, Healthcare and Industrial Sustainability objectives across the UK and EU.

This Roundtable Session will seek to address:

Emerging UK-EU relations, collaboration, and funding mechanisms. What are the emerging UK-EU relations hinted by the UK Government? How will UK-EU collaboration change against this backdrop and changing US priorities? Are funding mechanisms effective and supportive of the emerging UK-EU landscape?
UK-EU Science, Technology and Innovation policy issues. What new policies, if at all, should the UK/EU consider independently or jointly? How would this affect the way the UK does business with the EU? What is there to be gained or lost from lack of participation?
Bottlenecks, impact and growth of the Optics and Photonics sector, in particular, Quantum, Space and emerging technologies. What are those perceived bottlenecks? What can we do better? What steps can we take to improve Europe’s competitiveness?
Implementation of policies; other issues.
Future Discussions on Policy. Where do we go from here? Do we issue a White Paper? Should we have a Working UK-EU Policy Group?

This Roundtable Session is organised through the IOP Optical Group, the latter established in 1899 as the Optical Society of London and now deemed to be the de facto national Optical Society of the UK & Ireland. The Optical Group/de facto Optical Society of the UK & Ireland is also a member of the European Optical Society.

You are welcome to submit questions to the Panel by giving a brief background to the issue and the questions you would like addressed to: jdefreitas@physics.org, Chair, Optical Group.