Partners

About

Located in the Mediterranean Technology Park in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, ICFO was founded in 2002 and currently hosts 400 highly-international people led by prominent faculty members, who use 60 state-of-the-art research laboratories equipped with the latest experimental facilities for fabrication, characterization and engineering. A new addition to the building is under construction thanks to an outstanding philanthropic donation by Foundation Mir-Puig. ICFOnians have secured many international awards and research grants, including 37 European Research Council grants to date. The institute is also proactive in fostering entrepreneurial activities, spin-off creation, and creating collaborations and links between industry and ICFO researchers.

Central to ICFO’s mission is the training of the next generation of scientists and technologists. Over 200 PhD students have defended their theses here and hundreds of students have participated in research stays, all joining an active alumni network that connects them to current and former colleagues, the institute and its industrial partners. Academic program management and the Alumni network team up to provide career orientation through an Alumni Seminar Series as well as an annual Beyond ICFO career event.

ICFO is also known for its outreach activities in the field of photonics at the European level with active and leading roles in projects such as GoPhoton!, LIGHT2015 and PHABLABS 4.0 as well as the Quantum and Graphene Flagships initiatives.

ICFO is the coordinator of CARLA. Within the project, ICFO will lead the Work Package 3 “Implementation and sustainability” and 4 “Coordination and dissemination” and it will also coordinate the stakeholder Working Groups “Students and researchers” and “Diversity in photonics”. ICFO will be responsible for the creation of the guide to Empowering Diversity and will be implementing two editions of the CARLA camps in Barcelona.

About

PHOTONICS AUSTRIA was established in November 2013 at the initiative of the Austrian ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology. Photonics Austria’s 42 members and network include most relevant Austrian stakeholders with the emphasis on photonics spanning the sectors of University, RTO, Industry, the ministry and intermediaries like the Austrian research funding organization.

Its main task is the advancement of Austrian industry, science and training in the field of Photonics. Moreover, Photonics Austria ensures the development of national and international research strategies and programs, pushes the crosslinking with European activities and aims to establish networking and cooperation between business, research and training in the field of Photonics. The link with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology opens up the possibility to participate in the development of the national research funding programs and therefore to strengthen the input of the national photonics industry.

Photonics Austria has also established innovation networks, which facilitate the necessary exchange to discuss innovative ideas amongst members for specific thematic focal points, which are of high importance to Photonics Austria. The current networks cover mainly the topics “education” and “Austrian Laser Production Innovation Network”. Amongst members of Photonics Austria there is an agreement that outreach to all members of society in regards to photonics is important since the relevance of Photonics for the future development of Austrian Industry, business and science is not appropriately communicated and fully understood yet.

Photonics Austria is regularly organizing different events in Austria. Besides workshops and meetings regarding EU projects, Photonics Austria holds workshops aiming to inform and train its members in various fields around the theme photonics.

Within CARLA, Photonics Austria will use its international network to involve industry and businesses in the project, coordinating the stakeholder Working Group “Industry”. PA will lead the activities of Work Package 1 “Integration of stakeholders’ input”, support in Work Package 2 “Handbook and CARLA model assessment” and organize an Austrian CARLA camp.

About

The Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. (FVB) represents eight research institutes in the fields of natural sciences, life sciences and environmental sciences, which pursue common goals within the framework of a single legal entity. The institutes are jointly funded by the German federal and state governments and belong to the Leibniz-Association. About 1.900 employees, undergraduate and graduate students as well as visiting scientists work within FVB.

The Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik und Kurzzeitspektroskopie (MBI) is one of the leading institutes in ultrafast science and light-matter interaction. It conducts basic research in the field of nonlinear optics and ultrafast dynamics arising from the interaction of light with matter, and pursues applications that emerge from this research. MBI is an integral part of the international scientific community and it is involved in a large number of cooperative research projects with universities, other research institutions and industrial partners.

The Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik (FBH) explores cutting edge technologies for innovative applications in the fields of microwaves and optoelectronics. As a center of competence for III-V compound semiconductors, the institute is part of a worldwide network and achieves research results advancing the international state-of-the-art.

Both MBI and FBH are located in Europe’s largest science and technology park in Berlin-Adlershof and are closely linked to the Photonics Cluster in the region Berlin Brandenburg, consisting of 400 technology companies, 10 universities and 26 research institutions, with a total of around 16.600 employees.

Optec-Berlin-Brandenburg (OpTecBB) e.V. is the regional competence network or innovation cluster for photonics and microsystems technologies in the German Capital Region of Berlin Brandenburg, counting 115 institutional members. OpTecBB organizes technology oriented events for the photonics community and is co-organizer of the career event “Working in Photonics in Berlin”. OpTecBB is part of the German meta-regional photonics network OptecNet Germany and member of the European Photonics Industry consortium (EPIC).

Within CARLA, MBI will be leader of Work Package 2 “CARLA camp handbook and model assessment” and it will coordinate the stakeholder Working Group “Entrepreneurship and Innovation”. It will also organize a CARLA camp in Berlin.

In partnership with

About

Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) is a state scientific-technological university, which trains engineers, architects and industrial designers. Currently more than 1,300 professors and researchers work at University and 42,000 students study in 7 different campuses. POLIMI is organized in 12 Departments.

The Physics Department has a deep and long-term expertise in optics and photonics-based knowledge in terms of both teaching and research activity. In fact, it provides a course of study in Engineering Physics (divided into 3 levels: bachelor of science, master of science, PhD) with the aim of training engineers in the development of modern technologies in the physical, optical and photonics-based fields. Further, it carries out top-level experimental and theoretical scientific research in the field of Photonics, Optics and Matter Physics.

The research group “Photonics for health, food and cultural heritage“ performs top-level research and training activity (addressed to bachelor degree, master degree and PhD students) in the field of photonics-based spectroscopy and imaging methods in applications fields relevant to the cancer diagnosis, molecular biology, food analysis and conservation science.

Within CARLA, POLIMI will coordinate the stakeholder Working Group “Academia” and will organize a CARLA camp in Milan.

About

Institut d’Optique Graduate School (IOGS), also known under its legal name Institut d’Optique Théorique et Appliquée (IOTA), is an institution of higher education and research of public utility. It is placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Education and Research.

IOGS operates on 3 campuses in France: Palaiseau, Saint-Etienne and Bordeaux.

Within IOGS three cultures mix and enrich each other: Education, represented in particular by a large engineering school, a corporate environment by its entrepreneurial center, and research with three internationally renowned research laboratories in optics Laboratoire Charles Fabry (in Palaiseau); Laboratoire Hubert Curien (in Saint Etienne); Laboratoire Photonique Numérique et Nanosciences (in Bordeaux). IOGS maintains very strong links to several learned societies. The French Optical Society, the European Optical Society and the International Commission for Optics have their registered office at IOGS. Many members of IOGS are also members of other learned societies, and PhD students are members of student chapters of OSA, SFO/EOS, SPIE and EPS both in Palaiseau and in Bordeaux. These chapters regularly organize activities for PhD students.

This strategic position gives the Institute credibility and strengths to explore the richness of the many aspects of light and photonics.

IOGS will organize a CARLA camp in Bordeaux.

About

The International Laser Centre (ILC) was established as a key national platform for education, research and development in the field of lasers and photonics in Slovakia. It was founded by the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic in 1997 as an independent research and educational institution, in close cooperation of the Slovak University of Technology, Comenius University in Bratislava and Moscow State University. Since January 2021, ILC was merged under the Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information (SCSTI),  a national information centre for science, technology, innovation and education of the Slovak Republic, and it is open for new opportunities for collaboration in research, education and outreach of photonics. Although ILC hosts only 23 full-time employees, its working model is based on fostering young scientists and engineers by creating alliances and project teams with Slovak universities, academic institutions and industry. ILC research team has been involved in > 10 national and international research projects per year and its researchers have been publishing more than 25 papers in CC journals per year. The Department of Laser Technology and Department of Biophotonics of ILC will be involved in development of photonics career camps of excellence.

For more than a decade ILC is a partner of pan-European laser research infrastructure Laserlab Europe aisbl (supported by projects FP6 – H2020), where it plays a role of National contact-point in Slovakia and coordinating training and human resource development program of Laserlab Europe. ILC has been a coordinator of activities of the International Year of Light 2015 in Slovakia, and a partner in European projects “Go Photon!” and “Photonics4all – Photonics for everyone” aimed at photonics outreach. It has been also a partner of Marie Curie Initial Training Networks (ITN) project ESTABLIS (FP7) – Ensuring stability in organic solar cells. ILC regularly organize mid-size international meetings and workshops, such as LALS’98, LPHYS’02, ECONOS’06, or Advances in Electronic and Photonic Technologies (ADEPT). ILC is a member of ECOP – European Centres for Outreach in Photonics and EPIC association that promotes the sustainable development of organisations working in the field of photonics; it has representatives in European Technological Platform Photonics 21 and hosts the (only) SPIE Student chapter in Slovakia.

ILC will organize a CARLA camp in Bratislava.

About

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is represented by the Brussels Photonics Team (B-PHOT) which is an international centre of excellence in the domain of optics and photonics and internationally recognized for its basic, strategic, applied and industrial research in these fields. The department hosts over 50 researchers whose R&D activities are coordinated by Prof. Hugo Thienpont. Academic staff and students alike have over 10 years of experience in Photonics outreach.

B-PHOT, VUB has built up a track record in outreach EU projects, such as in EXPEKT and PHABLABS 4.0 as coordinator and GoPhoton! as work package leader. B-PHOT also has vast experience in holding Photonics outreach events that reach a wide audience from the community. The team has initiated and conducted several successful activities such as the ‘Photonics Science Show’ (attended by 1500 secondary school students every year), the exhibition ‘Discover the power of Light’ (visited by more than 270 000 people in 4 months) as well as coordinated EU projects that resulted in the ‘NEMO Edukit’ and the Photonics Explorer (more than 3000 kits distributed among teachers in Europe). Furthermore during the GoPhoton project B-PHOT has developed the Photonics Innovator Kit as well as during the PHABLABS 4.0 project B-PHOT&EYEST further distribute the Photonics Toolkits for Workshops.

To stimulate and support innovative entrepreneurship in the domain of Photonics, B-PHOT also organizes the “Intensive Training on Entrepreneurship in Photonics” targeting researchers of universities and research institutes, young professionals, employees of Photonics-related companies etc. B-PHOT is founding member of ECOP, the European Center for Outreach in Photonics.

Of particular relevance to ‘CARLA’, B-PHOT organised in 2018 the first Photonics Bootcamp in Belgium and will organise a second one in 2019.

VUB will organize a CARLA camp in Brussels.

About

The Delft University of Technology (TUDelft) is the largest technical university in the Netherlands covering the entire spectrum of engineering sciences It’s values: Diversity, Integrity, Respect, Engagement, Courage andTrust contribute to solving global challenges by educating new generations of socially responsible engineers and expanding the frontiers of the engineering sciences.

The Optica group focuses on pursuing high-level research of optical instrumentation and optical technology. Key areas are next-generation lithography, illumination via scattering, sub-wavelength optics and metrology, terahertz imaging and optical design. The group is led by Prof. Paul Urbach, former president of the European Optical Society (EOS), supported by 3 academic staff with 15 years’ experience in Photonics, and 4 part-time professors with connection to the Industry (ASML, TNO), SRON (Dutch Space Agency) and VSL (Dutch Metrology Institute).

The group has contributed to numerous outreach projects in Photonics (”NEMO Edukit”, “Photonics4all” and “Phablabs 4.0”). Strong relations were built with the Dutch Union of Physics Teachers, the Science Center of TUDelft, and representatives of School Union of the Netherlands. The group actively promotes the Photonics Explorer Kit and shares new ways to encourage kids/student to study photonics. The group led the FP7 Support Action European funded project for training European SME’s in optical design and continues with his partners and organises the biannual international conference Face2Phase addressing several 3D imaging methods.

Together with TNO, it is the initiator of the Dutch Optics Center (DOC) which connects people, companies and knowledge for joint innovations in photonics. It is closely related to the photonics cluster in the Netherlands PhotonicsNL, and co-organised the Dutch Photonics Event in Delft. The group is also connected to start-ups and to all major photonics companies through YesDelft!, the local incubator.

TUDelft will organize a CARLA camp in the Netherlands.

About

PhotonicSweden (PS) is the Swedish Photonics Platform, a not for profit economic association founded in 2011. It currently counts around 110 individual and 50 company members including universities and research institutes.

PS catalyses fruitful cooperation between companies, universities, and institutes in the field of optics and photonics at national and international level.

PS aims at being the voice of the Swedish Photonics towards the Public, the Government and foreign organizations, and at increasing awareness on the strategic importance of optics and photonics for the future of Sweden. Additionally, PS contributes to a healthy regrowth of engineers in optics and photonics. PS is continuously increasing the collaboration between photonics stakeholders by organising events such as the “Optics and Photonics in Sweden”, a yearly conference with international participation from academia and industry. PS organises and contributes to events like Optopubs, open houses (research Friday), job days, matchmaking for job-seekers and companies, hands on experiment exhibitions and conferences. With this engagement, PhotonicSweden contributes to a better skill supply in the field of photonics.

PS  conducted several surveys of the Swedish photonics and developed a photonics strategic research and innovation agenda (SRIA) . PS tries to monitor and influence the research and innovation strategy of the main regions in Sweden with actions such as the EU projects EPRISE (focus on the Life Science markets) and Nextpho21 (other applications).

PS has been collaborating with actors in the electronics field to a joint agenda called “Electronics Components and Systems, ECS”. PS has also been active in a project called “ECS Advocacy Platform” aiming at influencing the calls of Horizon 2020 and increasing the Swedish participation in EU projects.

Photonic Sweden will organize a CARLA camp.

About

Secpho is a technological innovation cluster, that was founded in 2009 in Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain. The cluster brings together more than 120 members, consisting of companies, innovation centers and research groups in the photonics and optics sector, experts in deep tech in Spain, who firmly believe in collaboration. Secpho is focused on promoting technological innovation through the application of photonic technologies or technologies based on light, to all types of sectors of our economy. The cluster mission is to facilitate and improve the competitiveness of the Spanish Optics and Photonics sector by reaching major growth and profitability. Secpho’s main objectives are:

• To generate business opportunities for companies
• To provide technology centres and research groups with access to projects
• To foster innovation in the field of deep tech, mainly photonic and optic technologies.

Secpho will collaborate within the CARLA project by creating a common methodology regarding the matchmaking activities during the events in order to promote the co-creation of the definition of requirements from each group of interest.

Secpho has several years of experience in fostering innovation in different transversal sectors, with SMEs as the main actors. This experience was gathered through organization of cross-sectorial innovation workshops nationally and internationally with market-oriented clusters like: railway, food packaging, olive oil, wine cork, wine industry, rubber industry, automotive, agricultural machinery, aerospace, healthcare and others.

An original methodology of secpho Innovation Workshops helps to create new consortia for national and European funding programs for new product development.

Within CARLA project, Secpho will use its network of industrial contacts and the experience in the management of networking workshops to attract the companies and extract useful information about their needs related with new talent.

About

Swissphotonics is the only Swiss National Technology Platform for photonics. The association was started in 2006 and has now more than 180 paying members from industry, academy, RTOs and associations, as well as personal members. It is one of ten National Thematic Networks (NTNs) in Switzerland and focusses on photonics. The role of an NTN is to promote innovation by bringing the industry (especially SMEs) in contact with their corresponding research institutes through road mapping, workshops and special support. Switzerland knows bottom up matching funding schemes (Innosuisse) as well as a top down funding scheme (e.g. Swiss Federal Office for Energy or Horizon 2020) for innovation. Swissphotonics works with both schemes to promote innovation and to involve and support innovation at SMEs. Swissphotonics covers the whole area of Switzerland and has a basis in Zürich with antennas in Basel (CSEM) and Lausanne (EPFL). It also has liaisons to other Swiss Photonics organisations (SSOM, EOS) and local chapters (OptETH, EPFL Photonics Chapter or EPC). In addition, Swissphotonics is internationally networked through memberships in IOA, OIDA, and EPIC.

Swissphotonics has initiated and supports competence workgroups, so called “Swiss National Photonic Labs”. These Labs combine relevant and interested institutes for a specific topic. Each Lab is actively participating in their respective workgroup in the European public private partnership platform “Photonics21” where roadmaps and Horizon2020 calls are prepared. The labs work as single-entry point for the industry and help coordinating the activities of the different academic groups. For CARLA, the laboratory dedicated to Photonics Education is especially relevant, as one very important theme is to adapt education to the needs of the industry.

Swissphotonics will organize a CARLA camp in Lausanne.

About

Located in the Mediterranean Technology Park in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, ICFO was founded in 2002 and currently hosts 400 highly-international people led by prominent faculty members, who use 60 state-of-the-art research laboratories equipped with the latest experimental facilities for fabrication, characterization and engineering. A new addition to the building is under construction thanks to an outstanding philanthropic donation by Foundation Mir-Puig. ICFOnians have secured many international awards and research grants, including 37 European Research Council grants to date. The institute is also proactive in fostering entrepreneurial activities, spin-off creation, and creating collaborations and links between industry and ICFO researchers.

Central to ICFO’s mission is the training of the next generation of scientists and technologists. Over 200 PhD students have defended their theses here and hundreds of students have participated in research stays, all joining an active alumni network that connects them to current and former colleagues, the institute and its industrial partners. Academic program management and the Alumni network team up to provide career orientation through an Alumni Seminar Series as well as an annual Beyond ICFO career event.

ICFO is also known for its outreach activities in the field of photonics at the European level with active and leading roles in projects such as GoPhoton!, LIGHT2015 and PHABLABS 4.0 as well as the Quantum and Graphene Flagships initiatives.

ICFO is the coordinator of CARLA. Within the project, ICFO will lead the Work Package 3 “Implementation and sustainability” and 4 “Coordination and dissemination” and it will also coordinate the stakeholder Working Groups “Students and researchers” and “Diversity in photonics”. ICFO will be responsible for the creation of the guide to Empowering Diversity and will be implementing two editions of the CARLA camps in Barcelona.