Photonics Talks 2026: Specialist presentations and discussions on key topics in photonics – Booth 419
Photonics is a key technology that drives innovation in areas such as industry, security, semiconductor manufacturing, mobility, medicine and life sciences. As part of Optatec 2026, Photonics Talks, in cooperation with the industry portal optics.org (SPIE), offers a platform for discussing current developments and applications in photonics.
Over two days, experts from industry and research will present concise technical talks on important topics for the future. Thematically grouped sessions will be supplemented by moderated panel discussions, which will provide space for in-depth discussions with the audience.
Tuesday, 5th May 2026
9:45 a.m. Welcome and brief introduction by Rob Fisher, optics.org
The morning will focus on the topic of
Defence
10:00 Edmund Optics | Clemens Dicke, Head of Sales & Technology at Edmund Optics son-x GmbH
“Manufacturing of Ultraprecise Mirrors for Space Applications”
10:30 I-Photonics | Mike Ivanovski, COO & Product owner
„Unlocking the Potential of Infrared Optics with Advanced Coating Processes“
Focus: We’ll highlight the growing demand for IR optics and how advanced coating processes can help unlock performance and reliability for security, surveillance, and sensing applications.
11:00 Trioptics | Dr Patrik Langehanenberg, Division Manager MPO
“Optical metrology solutions for IR lens testing”
11:30 Schott | Gernot Weber, Head of Sales EMEA Defense / Astro / Space
„Protective windows for advanced optronic defense systems“
12:00 Tematys | Thierry Robin
“Optics and Photonics in Defence: Applications and Market Dynamics”
12:30 Panel Discussion | Rob Fisher, Head of SPIE media
“Photonics at Scale: Navigating Quality, Complexity, and Growth in a Rapidly Evolving Decade”
Am Nachmittag richtet sich der Fokus auf:
Semiconductor manufacturing and inspection
14:00 EKSMA | Msc. Otas Dovydėnas, Technical Solutions Manager
“IBS AR-coated SHG/THG LBO crystals for industrial high-power lasers”
14:30 SPIE | John Yoon, Director of Technology Outreach
“Global Photonics Industry Update Report”
15:30 OptoTech | Michael Feinberg, Managing Director and Business Development Strategist
“Enabling the Future of Precision Optics Manufacturing with Artificial Intelligence”
16:00 Panel Discussion | Matt Peach, Editor-in-Chief at optics.org
“Photonics for Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing: Scaling Performance and Capacity in the Era of AI and Data Center Growth”
Wednesday, 6th May 2026
Automotive Sensors/sensors for autonomous vehicles
9:45 a.m. Welcome by optics.org
10:30 Manx Precision Optics | Helmut Kessler, Managing Director
11:00 SE Training | Patrick Harding, Algorithm design and performance evaluation engineer
“Sensor-algorithm design and performance considerations”
11:30 Optotune | David Leuenberger, Head of Product Management at Optotune
“Beamsteering for LiDAR, Security & Defense”
12:00 Photonics 21 | Markus Wilkens, Head of Operations at Photonics21
“Photonics21 and the Strategic Path to FP10”
12:30 Panel Discussion | Rob Fisher
“Innovation vs. Industrialisation: Is Europe Struggling to Scale Photonics?”
Life Science/Biophotonics
14:00 Fraunhofer ILT | Dr. Manuel Jung, Research Associate at Fraunhofer ILT
“Laser-based Optics Manufacturing”
14:30 Tematys | Jacques Cohard
“Adding computational resource to Biophotonics technologies, a new approach to speeding up time to market”
16:00 Panel Discussion | Matt Peach
“The Alignment Problem: Can Photonics Deliver What the Market Demands?”
The Photonics Talks at Optatec 2026 thus offer a compact overview of current developments in key areas of photonics and create space for professional exchange, discussion and networking within the international community.