Acronym: 360 CARLA
Title: 360 Photonics Career Launch Programs
Call: HORIZON-CL4-2023-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-CNECT
EU nr: 101135838
Period: 30 months: 1/1/2024– 33/6/2026
Total budget: €1,133,755.00; VUB budget: €125,937.50
Contact: Astghik Chalyan (astghik.chalyan@vub.be)
PI's webpage: https://researchportal.vub.be/en/persons/hugo-thienpont
ABSTRACT:
As in other Deep Tech areas, there is a need for more qualified professionals in the field. This shortage is due to a lack of education and training programs, unawareness of the career opportunities that the field poses, a rapidly evolving technology, and unfamiliarity with the different professional paths that the photonics ecosystems offer, among others.
CARLA, the awarded project for the previous call, took on the challenge of promoting careers in photonics among students and researchers through the CARLA camps photonics career camps. 360 CARLA seeks to build on the momentum created by the successful CARLA project, retain and increase the interest that the CARLA participants have acquired and expand the impact to more and more diverse university students and early-stage researchers. For that, we will create round-up programs around photonics applications or markets that we call verticals: 1) Health: Biotech and Medical Photonics; 2) Quantum Technologies/ Communications; 3) Energy, Environment and Sustainability; and 4) Manufacturing/ Industry 4.0. These roundup, cohesive programs will integrate career symposiums, mentorship, innovation and entrepreneurship experience and training.
This will:
- Increase the number of students and researchers interested in pursuing careers in photonics.
- Appeal to additional STEM students and researchers attracted by the photonics application topic.
- Provide participants with a round-up, overall understanding of the landscape of the photonics ecosystem surrounding the corresponding vertical, supported by a network of contacts and mentors, experiences in photonics innovation entrepreneurship and training.
In addition, 360 CARLA will collaborate with other EU initiatives in the photonics space, working towards growing and better preparing the future workforce around the verticals to leverage each other through sharing strategies, activities, content, and dissemination channels
AIM (WHAT)
The main ambition of 360 CARLA is to build on the momentum of the previous project, CARLA, by retaining and expanding the pool of participants who pursue a career in photonics. Specifically, the 360 CARLA project will (i) increase the number of students and researchers interested in a career in photonics; (ii) reach out to additional STEM students and researchers whose contributions would be crucial for the growth and sustainability of the photonics field; (iii) provide participants with a roundup view on the photonics careers by market sector; and (iv) foster participants’ understanding of the landscape of the photonics ecosystem. 360 CARLA will create round-up programs around key photonics applications or markets: 1) Health: Biotech and Medical Photonics; 2) Quantum Technologies/ Communications; 3) Energy, Environment and Sustainability; and 4) Manufacturing/ Industry 4.0.
VUB B-PHOT will coordinate and lead the creation and guidelines of the Health: Biotech and Medical Photonics vertical, including symposium, training and mentorship programs. The VUB team will play an essential role as a liaison to establish collaborations with EU initiatives about the themed symposiums and complement the 360 CARLA packages with content or activities from other EU initiatives. Moreover, provides participants with the opportunity to attend complementary programs through the photonic communities.
METHODOLOGY (HOW)
To achieve its ambition, the 360 CARLA consortium will divide the work plan into three key phases, corresponding to the design, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of the 360 CARLA programs. The programs centred upon the identified photonics applications and markets will rely on career symposiums, mentorship activities, training around technical and career development skills (including innovation and entrepreneurship), and experiences at companies and academic and research institutions. In total, 50 different activities will take place throughout the duration of the project.
IMPACT (WHY)
360 CARLA will make multiple significant contributions, including a positive impact on the innovation, entrepreneurship and productivity of the photonics ecosystem and a more inclusive photonics ecosystem with career opportunities for traditionally underrepresented groups. Additionally, the project will develop ready-to-replicate photonics career development programs focused on applications.