Introduction

Besides many exciting research results, the national and international situation is evolving quickly. The PhotonDelta ecosystem is expanding and the first phase of the Growth Fund program is in full swing. Deep-tech is getting more attention at the national and European level, resulting in more funding possibilities for start-ups and scale-ups. This environment provides excellent opportunities for bringing research results to industrial maturity, and many initiatives in this direction are being started.

As a consequence of these developments, the growing local industry needs an increasing number of graduates in the optics and photonics. In order to match this demand, three Dutch technical universities, PhotonDelta and Optics Netherlands have joined forces in the new MasterPlus Optics & Photonics initiative, aimed at attracting more talent towards these fields. A very ambitious plan has been made for the broader semiconductors sector, with a focus in the Eindhoven area (see articles on page 12 and 13).

At the same time, the planned budget cuts on research and education and potential restrictions on international students represent significant threats for the further development of our ecosystem.

Most importantly, the rest of the world is not waiting: The strong growth of data centers and AI is fueling the industrial development of integrated photonics in large silicon foundries. If we do not move fast, we will be left behind. It is of outmost importance that research organizations, national industry and government keep working together to leverage decades of investments into technological leadership, photonics-based products and societal impact for the coming generations.

Andrea Fiore, Scientific Director, Center for Integrated Photonics Eindhoven