Day of Photonics 2014 - Enlightening the General Public on the Industry

The date of Day of Photonics was chosen to commemorate when the General Conference of Weights and Measures adopted the value of 299,792.458 km/s for the speed of light on 21 October 1983. This feature concerns all photonics technologies, and is not related to a specific country, therefore an ideal occasion for a technology that encompasses as broad fields as photovoltaic solar energy, laser, LED lighting, displays, optical communication, and all photonics technologies.



The day aims at making Photonics come alive and to raise awareness about the sector. The event will be held over numerous countries and will encompass all kinds of demonstrations on the impact of the industry on our day-to-day existence. The day will include activities and outreach to the general public, ranging from public authorities, students, investors, and other stakeholders. The intention is to show the applications of the industry, to communicate the breadth of the photonics applications and the pervasiveness and the importance. Thus illustrating why the European Commission classified “Photonics” as a Key Enabling Technology and why public authorities will benefit of supporting this emerging industry that will inevitably be as important as the electronics industry.



This year’s event will be complementary to the International Year of Light 2015 initiative. “There will be several preparatory actions leading up to the International Year of Light (IYL) 2015, and I am delighted to see the initiative taken by EPIC to promote an industry-wide Day of Photonics. This is a perfect example of an action for 2014 that is not only exciting and interesting on its own but also feeds-in perfectly to our aspirations for 2015 to demonstrate innovation in light technology in a tangible manner and to promote new public-industry engagement.” comments John Dudley, Chairman of the IYL Steering Committee.



About EPIC:

EPIC is the industry association that promotes the sustainable development of organisations working in the field of photonics in Europe. We foster a vibrant photonics ecosystem by maintaining a strong network and acting as a catalyst and facilitator for technological and commercial advancement. EPIC publishes market and technology reports, organizes technical workshops and B2B roundtables, coordinates EU funding proposals, advocacy and lobbying, education and training activities, standards and roadmaps, pavilions at exhibitions. www.epic-assoc.com