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The design and manufacture of components and systems underpin the European and indeed worldwide
photonics industry. Optical materials and photonic components serve as the basis for systems building at
different levels of complexity. In most cases, they perform a key function and dictate the performance of
these systems.
New products and processes will generate economic activity for the European photonics industry into the
21st century. However, progress will rely on Europe's ability to develop new and better materials,
components and systems. To achieve success, photonic components and systems must:
•be reliable and inexpensive
•be generic and adaptable
•offer superior functionality
•be innovative and protected by Intellectual Property
•be aligned to market opportunities
The challenge in the short-, medium-, and long-term is to put a coordinating framework in place which will
make the European activity in this technology area competitive as compared to those in the US and Asia. In
the short term the aim should be to facilitate the vibrant and profitable European photonics industry to
further develop its ability to commercialize advances in photonic related technologies. In the medium and
longer terms the objective must be to place renewed emphasis on materials research and the design and
manufacturing of key components and systems to form the critical link between science endeavour and
commercial success.
All these general issues are highly relevant for the component intensive broadband communications
industry. Also relevant for this development is the convergence of data and telecom, where the low cost of
data com meets with the high reliability requirements of telecom.
The text below is to a degree taken form the Strategic Research Agenda of the Technology Platform
Photonics 21 [1], as this contains a concerted effort to iron out a strategy for EU in the area of photonics
components and systems.
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