Acronym: Phorwards21
Title: Photonics from research to market: Empowering Europe’s strategic autonomy, supporting the green deal and securing resilience – Photonics21
Call: HORIZON-CL4-2023-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01-C
EU nr: 101134961
Period: 36 months: 1/1/2024-31/12/2026
Total budget: €2,930,280.00; VUB budget: €77,750.00
Contact: Prof. Dr. Hugo Thienpont
PI's webpage: https://researchportal.vub.be/en/persons/hugo-thienpont
ABSTRACT:
Phorwards21 will create and implement a comprehensive industrial strategy for photonics in Europe. The action will be implemented by Photonics21 (the EU Commission's partner in the Horizon Europe Photonics Partnership) with its more than 3000 members from companies and research institutions as well as national photonics technology platforms and regional clusters. In addition to already initiated collaborations with end-user and other deep-tech partnerships, contacts with national ministries (Photonics21 Mirror Group) and financial actors such as the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Investment Council (EIC) and (corporate) venture capital companies will be strengthened to implement the European photonics strategy and thus establish European strategic autonomy in this critical technology. Specific end-user community-based roadmaps will be developed, focusing not only on research priorities but also on industrial implementation, including pilot lines and the creation of appropriate framework conditions
AIM (WHAT):
The main ambition of Phorwards21 is to support Europe's ambitious digital and green transformations goals through Photonics Partnership activities. Concretely, the project will represent a key support mechanism for the Horizon Europe Photonics Partnership, established between the European Commission and Photonics21, a democratic European stakeholder organisation with more than 3000 members from 1700 companies and research organisations across Europe. The specific project objectives are: (i) to empower open strategic autonomy and a resilient, green, digital economy for Europe by creating roadmaps for European photonics and its value chains; (ii) to foster strategic collaboration with other initiatives in all key parts of current and future supply chains; (iii) to empower regional, national and European public investment in photonics; (iv) to improve financing opportunities for photonics start-ups and SMEs; and (v) to engage the community and promote photonics as a key enabling technology for Europe.
METHODOLOGY (HOW):
To achieve its ambition, the Phorwards21 consortium will adopt the structures and the lessons learned from previous Coordination and Support Action projects in which many of the same partners were involved. The methodology is built upon eight Keys to ensure the success of the project: (1) community-led priority planning and road-mapping; (2) collaborations with other European Partnerships to align strategies and generate joint funding calls; (3) stimulation of the regional and national networks of photonics and its end-users; (4) stimulation of co-investment at the regional and national levels; (5) identification of Europe’s photonics entrepreneurs and start-ups, and promotion of investment; (6) ease of access to growth financing for photonics start-ups and SME; (7) enlargement of Photonics21 and wider European photonics community engagement; and (8) communication of the importance of photonics to policy makers and the wider public.
IMPACT (WHY):
Phorwards21 will make multiple significant contributions at the economic, scientific, and societal level, including the development of a European R&I strategy in photonics, the alignment of the Photonics European industry with the priorities of the research community, and cooperation between photonics and end-users to speed up innovation in Europe. The project will also strengthen the position of Europe at the forefront of established and emerging sectors.