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Brussels November 13, 2012 – The Board of Stakeholder of the European Technology Platform Photonics21 has elected Dr. Michael Mertin, CEO of JENOPTIK AG, Jena, as new President of the organization representing the European Photonics Community in the fields of optical technologies. Dr. Mertin takes over the position from departing President Martin Goetzeler of Osram AG.

The new President studied physics at the University of Aachen (RWTH Aachen), and gained his PhD in Engineering at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology. He will lead Photonics21 during the decisive phase when Europe’s Research and Innovation policy transitions in to the new European Framework Program “Horizon 2020”. Photonics, having been designated one of the EU Commission’s five Key Enabling Technologies, will play a major role in Horizon 2020, resulting in significant industrial growth and new jobs.

In his introductory address, Dr. Mertin confirmed that Photonics21 welcomes the EU Commission’s new Horizon 2020 programme with its strong emphasis on funding for innovation, and focus on achieving real impact on growth and jobs. “This implies that Europe is fully exploiting and developing those technologies, in which Europe has a strong and well-established industry base, able to gain and defend a leading competitive position”.

On the subject of the role of Horizon 2020, he continued: "Since Europe is facing an economic crisis and has been cutting budgets across the continent, it is now crucial to ensure that every euro is spent wisely, and that all stakeholders live up to their commitments and responsibilities. Photonics21 will support this endeavor through the establishment of a Public-Private-Partnership and an industry pledge to a four-fold leverage of public funding. This future PPP is the expression of our full commitment to pursue cooperation between private and public sectors, and the perfect instrument to strengthen Europe’s innovation capacity."

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About Michael Mertin

Dr. Michael Mertin is Chairman of the Executive Board of JENOPTIK AG, a leading integrated optoelectronics group located in Jena, Germany, with global operations in five main divisions: Lasers & Material Processing, Optical Systems, Industrial Metrology, Traffic Solutions, and Defense & Civil Systems.

Dr. Mertin received his physics degree from the RWTH Aachen, and subsequently gained his PhD in Engineering in the field of laser material processing and surface technology from the Fraunhofer Institute for Lasertechnology (FHG-ILT). In 1996 he moved to industry, joining Carl Zeiss as Head of Technology Coating at the Group’s Technology Center. Over the next ten years he held several senior management positions at Zeiss. In October 2006 he moved to JENOPTIK AG, taking the position of COO on the Executive Board, and in July 2007 he became President and CEO.

Dr. Mertin is an active member of several technology associations and economic committees, including Spectaris, the German Hightech Industry Association, the Federal and Thuringian Executive Committees of the Economic Council Germany, and the University Council of the Illmenau University of Technology. He also holds the position of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF) in Jena.

About Photonics21

In December 2005 the European Technology Platform "Photonics21" was set up as an industry driven platform to unify the community in the area of optical technologies. Today, about 2,000 representatives of industry and science from most European countries have joined together to further advance Europe’s position in optical technologies. In September 2009, the European Commission defined photonics as one of five European Key Enabling Technologies (KET’s) and set up a High Level Expert Group of Science and Industry Representatives, where Photonics21 was represented, to develop possible policy measures to promote the industrial take-up of KETs by EU industries. In its final report published in June 2011 the group proposes 11 policy recommendations for the development and deployment of KETs in Europe, which acts as input for the next European Innovation Framework Programme "Horizon 2020".

About the European photonics industry

The current global photonics market is estimated to be €300 billion. Europe’s share of this world market is approaching €60 billion, representing more than 20% of the total market. The European photonics industry has many market-leading industrial players and more than 5,000 highly innovative SMEs. It employs around 300,000 employees directly, with subcontractors employing many more. The estimated annual growth rate of the €300 billion global photonics market is estimated to be around 8-10% growing the market to 480 – 500 billion Euros in 2015.

About Jenoptik

As an integrated optoelectronics group Jenoptik operates in the five divisions Lasers & Material Processing, Optical Systems, Industrial Metrology, Traffic Solutions and Defense & Civil Systems. Its customers around the world mainly include companies in the semiconductor and semiconductor equipment manufacturing industry, automotive and automotive supplier industry, medical technology, security and defense technology as well as the aviation industry. The Group was created out of the former Kombinat VEB Carl Zeiss Jena in 1991, as a result of the German reunification. The Jenoptik Group headquarters are in Jena (Thuringia). In addition to several major sites in Germany, Jenoptik is represented in nearly 70 countries. JENOPTIK AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and included in the TecDax index. The Group has more than 3,100 employees all over the world and generated sales of approx. 543 million euros in 2011.

Your Contact:

Ursula Tober Economist/Consultant, Photonics21 / VDI-Technologiezentrum Phone: +49 (0) 175-9327338 eMail: tober@vdi.de http://www.photonics21.org

Katrin Lauterbach Corporate Communications Jenoptik AG +49 3641 65-2360 katrin.lauterbach@jenoptik.com http://www.jenoptik.com/en_home

If you are interested in cooperation opportunities beyond Europe, we would like to inform you on an open information meeting on “Opportunities for European researchers to access New Zealand’s research programmes” to be held at the New Zealand Mission to the EU (Level 7, 9 - 31 Avenue des Nerviens -Metro Schuman) on Friday 16 November from 09:30 to 12:30 in Brussels.

Major focus of the event is to provide European organizations interested in cooperation in ICT research with New Zealand the opportunity to meet key New Zealand research organizations and to get detailed information on how to participate in New Zealand research and innovation programmes.

This information meeting is mainly an opportunity to learn more on research collaboration between Europe and New Zealand but also to build EU-NZ researcher connections and networking.

Download the agenda

Registration to the event is free of charge. If you would like to join the meeting you can register by following this link: http://eu-nz-information-meeting.eventbrite.com/#

Confrontée à une crise économique et à des mesures d'austérité qui touchent l'ensemble du Vieux Continent, l'Europe doit se serrer la ceinture lors de l'élaboration du budget de la prochaine législature. Si les coupes sombres semblent inévitables, le nouveau budget européen pour 2014 et au-delà recèle néanmoins un important potentiel de dynamisation de l'économie.

Jusqu’à aujourd'hui, et malgré un vaste parc industriel et des investissements croissants en R&D, l’Europe éprouve régulièrement des difficultés à convertir des idées innovantes en produits et services commercialisables. Ce déficit est en outre amplifié par un manque de spécialisation et par un morcellement régional. La commercialisation de nos avancées scientifiques et technologiques, et le comblement du fossé qui sépare les laboratoires des marchés, sont deux tremplins que nous ne pouvons pas nous permettre de manquer.

L'Europe se distingue de longue date par l'excellence de sa recherche, la qualité de son parc manufacturier et l'esprit innovant de ses secteurs technologiques. Le secteur européen de la photonique illustre à merveille cet esprit d'innovation, avec un taux de croissance de trois à quatre fois supérieure à celui du PIB. Cette jeune technologie recèle le potentiel voulu pour générer des retombées positives bénéfiques à bon nombre d'Européens et pour contribuer à relever de multiples défis sociétaux. Dans son nouveau Cadre pour la Recherche et l'Innovation, baptisé Horizon 2020, la Commission européenne a retenu la photonique comme l’une des six technologies porteuses d'innovation, de croissance et de création d'emplois dans de multiples secteurs.

Horizon 2020 est un programme d'avenir qui, s'il est mis en œuvre efficacement et assorti d'un budget adéquat, relancera une économie européenne en recul, en lui donnant les armes pour se défendre dans la course mondiale à l'innovation. Eu égard à la fragmentation du paysage européen et aux débats menés au sein du Conseil visant à de nouvelles mesures de restriction budgétaire, il est clair que le succès d’Horizon 2020 est étroitement lié à un ciblage encore plus fin des ressources disponibles. Deux instruments nous semblent être plus particulièrement importants: la focalisation des différents flux de financement européens vers un objectif unique, ainsi que le renforcement de la coopération entre les différents maillons de la chaîne de l'innovation.

Primo, le concept de 'spécialisation intelligente' suscite depuis quelques années un intérêt croissant. Il ouvre des perspectives nouvelles sur les programmes de financement européens et sur l'optimisation des synergies entre Horizon 2020 et les politiques de cohésion. Afin d’accroître l'efficacité, renforcer les écosystèmes innovants en Europe et générer des économies d'échelle, il convient de mettre un terme au clivage artificiel entre la recherche et l'innovation et les fonds structurels. Les fonds structurels peuvent jouer un rôle important, plus particulièrement dans le soutien aux dernières phases de l'innovation. L'identification des champions locaux de l'innovation et le renforcement des noyaux de haute technologie existants sont de nature à garantir un flux de financement constant pour faciliter la commercialisation d’avancées technologiques initiées par la recherche, et ce tout en promouvant l'excellence et la compétitivité dans toutes les régions d'Europe.

Secundo, Horizon 2020 prévoit les mesures nécessaires afin de favoriser la coopération et la coordination entre l’ensemble des acteurs de la chaîne, y compris la Commission européenne, les instances de recherche et le secteur privé. Les PPP (partenariats public/privé) sont un outil précieux pour renforcer la capacité d'innovation des entreprises européennes et tirer parti des compétences et expériences qui ont permis à l’industrie européenne de se développer.

Les budgets représentent incontestablement un enjeu de taille. Aujourd'hui, il est crucial de les utiliser judicieusement. L'intégration du paramètre de 'spécialisation intelligente' dans les propositions législatives constitue pour les hommes politiques une opportunité de tenir leurs promesses et d'encourager l'innovation, l'excellence et la cohésion. Cette approche, conjuguée à un vaste chantier de simplification et de flexibilisation (deux avancées qui ne coûtent pas le moindre centime), aura pour effet ultime de décupler la compétitivité, de générer des investissements privés et de favoriser la croissance économique et la création d'emplois.

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Confronted with an economic crisis and austerity measures expanding across the continent, Europe is faced with tighter fiscal belts as it develops its budget for the forthcoming legislative period. But while cuts might be unavoidable, the new EU budget for 2014 and beyond still presents an important driver for bolstering the economy...
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Take the opportunity to inform on latest photonics calls via the Photonics21 website.
Detailed information on ICT Call 10, ICT Call 11, Factories of the Future Call 2013, the transnational call for proposals BiophotonicsPlus as well as the Eurostars EUREKA programme which offers funding possibilites for SMEs can be found in the section Europe by following this link: http://www.photonics21.org/europe/calls.php

Photonics21 Lunch Debate hosted by MEP Carvalho, Rapporteur for the implementation framework of Horizon2020, at the European Parliament on October 9, 2012 in Brussels

The importance of Photonics as a Key Enabling Technology for fuelling innovation, economic growth and cohesion in Europe was the focus of the luncheon organised by Photonics21, the leading European platform for the photonics industry, in partnership with the "knowledge4innovation" 4th European Innovation Summit titled "Building Bridges – Creating Synergies".

As the debate on the Commission’s Horizon 2020 proposal is in full swing within the European institutions, the lunch debate focussed on joining forces of all stakeholders by enhancing synergies between Horizon 2020 and the Structural funds – with Smart Specialisation being key to it. Specifically under current economic restraints, smart specialization could represent an innovative policy tool that brings a fresh perspective to the debate on resource allocation in European regions.

In her introductory speech Ms Carvalho, MEP and Rapporteur for the implementation framework of Horizon2020, stated "Smart specialization strategies will allow for an efficient coordination of the Union’s financial instruments. I welcome the support of the industry as they have an essential role to play in ensuring synergies between Horizon 2020 and cohesion policies. Those programmes should not be considered contradictory; they rather complement each other. We need Horizon 2020 funding to help building stairways to excellence and be a driver for European innovation."

Giorgio Anania, Vice President Photonics21 and member of the European Commission’s High-Level Group for key enabling technologies, said in his introductory note: "We believe that a coordinated approach between Horizon 2020 and the EU’s Cohesion policy can create a tipping point for an economically ailing Europe. To make Horizon 2020 a success, we need to secure adequate financial means and enhance collaboration between all involved stakeholders - EU, Member States, regions and industry clusters. Photonics21 supports this endeavor through the establishment of a Public-Private-Partnership and an industry pledge to leverage public funding four-fold. This future PPP is the expression of our full commitment to pursue cooperation between private and public sectors and the perfect instrument to strengthen Europe’s innovation capacity."

"Since Europe is facing an economic crisis and has been cutting budgets across the continent, it is now crucial to ensure that every euro spent is spent wisely", says Giorgio Anania. "Smart specialisation and smart spending, coupled – we would add – with massive simplification and greater flexibility, are key to boosting economic growth and the creation of jobs. We need to make sure that the EU will be able to cope with the major challenges of the coming years."

Representing the EU Commission Khalil Rouhana, Director for Components and Systems, DG CONNECT-A, pointed out that "it is essential for us to invest in research and innovation if Europe is to keep a competitive advantage in the global market. In times of economic crisis, it is even more important that we continue to invest in our future. In fact, research and innovation must be at the heart of any recovery plan if that recovery is to be sustainable. However, we will always have limited resources. We need to focus those limited resources on those areas of investment that will have the greatest impact on economic growth and job creation. These areas of greatest impact are the Key Enabling Technologies which are driving innovation in many sectors and which have the potential to create new market areas and provide solutions to many of the problems that our society is facing. These Key Enabling Technologies include Photonics and Microelectronics and ICT in general."

Mike Wale, Director, Active Products Research, Oclaro and Executive Board member of Photonics21 added that Photonics is a major engine for growth in Europe, with many successful companies, impressive global market share in key sectors and huge leverage within the wider economy. The focus on innovation in Horizon 2020 is a very important development, deserving strong support. With the development of the PPP, with its unique industrial commitment, we have a great opportunity to invest for growth and we should look for every means to coordinate different programmes towards our overall goal.

Valentina Pinna, Head of sector, Research, Innovation & Competitiveness at the Lombardy Region Delegation to the EU gave her perspective that "KETs have the potential of transforming regional economies." The Lombardi region, so her statement," illustrates how public-private partnerships and smart specialisation, through the identification of key priorities and players, can boost the development of KET clusters in EU regions" and added that "Clusters must be seen as policy tools to drive innovation in Europe".

Finally there was a broad agreement that a multi-fund approach based on Smart Specialization strategies will allow for efficient coordination of EU’s financial instruments and foster the joining of forces between public and private stakeholders.

For more background information see the Media Kit
121010_Photonics21_Results_Event_EU_Parliament.-final_pdf.pdf
Photonics21_Media_Kit_EP_Lunch-Final.pdf

Photonics21 interview with "Public Service Review" on photonics potential to help Europe prosper in important areas.

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The BiophotonicsPlus call announcement has been published. The document provides you all relevant information on the transnational call for project proposals in the field of biophotonics such as the scope for applications, the general rules of application, the application process as well as the key dates, the national and regional eligibility rules and contact information.

You can download the BiophotonicsPlus call announcement and find any further relevant information on the BiophotonicsPlus website www.biophotonicsplus.eu .