News

11 December 2006

 

EPIC celebrates three years of helping build Europe’s photonics industry

EPIC (European Photonics Industry Consortium) was founded on December 12, 2003 by Aixtron, Cambridge Display Technology, Osram Opto-Semiconductors, Philips Lighting, and Sagem Défense Securité, with the objective of building sustainable growth for Europe's photonics industry.

Over the three years since its inception, the organization says it has been successful in:

• Creating a European Technology Platform in Photonics.
• Building a European-wide membership of companies, research centres and universities that is representative of the European photonics industry.
• Uniting EPIC members and the larger community around the principal themes that are strategic both for Europe and the photonics industry.
• Animating and communicating a vital debate in Europe about the opportunities and challenges for European industry and world-wide markets.

Specifically, EPIC was instrumental in creating Photonics21 (European Photonics Technology Platform), which was launched in December 2005. The organization has also provided members with workshops, market intelligence reports, news and networking opportunities.

EPIC’s ACCORD project has been granted funding from the European Commission and is now operational. Through the ACCORD project EPIC works with universities to train students on prototype photonic components and technologies.

Objectives for the next 3 years include:

• Using the Photonics21 Platform to build European industrial infrastructure, for example, creating foundries for manufacturing, assembly, and design.
• Developing a programme to encourage transfer of technology to products for SMEs (Small Business Innovation Research).
• Helping to build infrastructure and resources for the development of competitive commercial product technologies in specific sectors of the European photonics industry

Visit: http://www.epic-assoc.com