Michael Mertin plenary talk: Photonics21 and the Perspectives from the European Photonics Industry

Photonics provide indispensable technology buildings bricks that enable a wide range of products as well as driving the development of entirely new industries, notes Michael Mertin of JENOPTIK AG (Germany) in his plenary talk, "Photonics21 and the Perspectives from the European Photonics Industry."

The European Commission recognized the potential of photonics to strengthen Europe's industrial and innovation capacity and consequently declared photonics as a Key Enabling Technology. Photonics21 as partner of the European Commission developed a Multiannual Strategic Roadmap which aims at boosting European photonics along the whole innovation chain with special focus on the gap between generating knowledge and products. The roadmap will be realized in a Public Private Partnership between the European photonics industry and the European Commission until 2020. In this PPP it is intended that the industry commits to leverage the public funds by the factor of 4.

Merton studied physics at the University of Aachen (RWTH Aachen), and earned his PhD in engineering at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology. After a ten-year management career with Carl Zeiss, Mertin joined JENOPTIK AG as COO in October 2006. Since July 2007, Mertin has served as President and CEO of JENOPTIK AG. Mertin is also President of the European technology platform Photonics21.