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Event round-up: Photonics focus launch event

16 September 20256 min read
Guest Insights
Event round-up: Photonics focus launch event

techUK’s Photonics Focus a five-month initiative running from September 2025 to January 2026, is designed to accelerate Photonics innovation, spark cross-sector partnerships and showcase best practice from techUK’s members and stakeholders. Please visit the link above or email ella.shuter@techuk.org for more information.

This launch webinar, which took place on 10 September, saw techUK colleagues provide an overview of how stakeholders, techUK members, and the wider photonics ecosystem can get involved in the five-month focus. It also saw industry experts outline how emerging trends and technologies are shaping the future of Photonics. 

Speakers included: 

  • Dr Justyna Lisinska, Specialist Policy Officer, CORNERSTONE 

  • Dr Daniel Burt, Innovation Consultant, Plexal 

techUK's presentation was delivered by Ella Shuter, techUK’s Junior Programme Manager for Emerging Technologies, while the webinar was chaired by Rory Daniels, techUK’s Head of Emerging Technology and Innovation. 

You can watch the full recording here, or read our summary of the key insights below: 

Please note that the below is a summary of the event, and readers are encouraged to watch the webinar to understand the full details of the discussion. 

The session opened with an overview of techUK’s Photonics Focus:

  • This is a five-month initiative that explores how the UK can lead on the development and deployment of Photonics technologies.  

  • Activity will take the form of workshops, webinars, roundtables, networking events, and more that convene the sector to understand Photonics applications, identify key challenges and opportunities, share best-practice case studies, and set out the actions the UK must take to leverage its strengths and maintain global leadership in Photonics. 

  • Upcoming activities include our: 

  • Making the Most of the UK's Photonics Clusters

    webinar – 22 Sept 

  • Photonics insight series

    (thought leadership opportunity) – contribute by 14 Oct 

Overview of key themes 

Dr Justyna Lisinska gave an overview of the UK’s Photonics sector and CONERSTONE’s Photonics Innovation Centre:  

  • CONERSTONE’s Photonics Innovation Centre is an open-access prototyping facility for industry and academics specialising in silicon photonics. Unlike traditional (electronic) chips, these use light rather than electricity to achieve faster data transmission and lower energy loss.  

  • Government strategy does not recognise the Photonics sector as widely as other technologies such as AI and semiconductors. This is due to limited awareness regarding the importance of Photonics hardware in enabling a wide range of technologies and sectors. While recognition is increasing, there is still work to be done for Photonics to gain greater recognition and credibility as a vital sector in its own rite. 

  • Silicon Photonics is one of the fastest growing sectors in which the UK can establish global leadership, with a predicted annual growth rate of 20 – 25%. Examples of applications include environmental monitoring, healthcare, future telecoms, quantum, defence, and semiconductors. These are all key areas of technology with relatively few global players, presenting significant opportunities for the UK Photonics sector.  

  • The UK boasts a strong research base, with leading institutions such as the Universities of Cambridge, Glasgow, and Southampton playing a key role. However, to fully realise this potential, the UK must build and invest in the right infrastructure. This includes pilot lines and facilities that enable businesses to test, scale, and commercialise innovation. Government support in the form of funding and infrastructure could ensure that companies can grow and innovate within the UK, rather than having to relocate overseas. 

Daniel Burt discussed the UK’s vibrant Photonics ecosystem and highlighted specific areas and capabilities in which the UK may wish to invest if it is to lead on key Photonics capabilities in the future: 

  • The UK’s Photonics ecosystem has a rich heritage, with a history of globally significant contributions to the field, particularly in optical fibre technology, much of which was developed in Southampton. Leading UK universities include Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford, Sheffield, Manchester, and Durham, all of which are conducting world-leading research in Photonics and its related disciplines. The industry also has strong regional capabilities: Northern Ireland is home to Seagate’s advanced manufacturing in photonics; Wales hosts the CSA Catapult, specialising in compound semiconductors; and Scotland is a leader in imaging, sensing, and Quantum technologies. 

  • Photonics spans a wide range of use cases, from materials including lithium niobate and graphene to design and manufacturing processes such as masking, fabrication, packaging, and testing. Photonics also encompasses components like lasers, LEDs, and photodetectors, and extends to complex systems including LiDAR, photonic integrated circuits (PICs), sensors, and microscopy. 

  • Challenges and Opportunities  

    • Supply chains – Future UK leadership in Photonics requires control over key capabilities. This comes through having a strong, diverse and resilient supply chain across Photonics and related technologies such as Semiconductors and Quantum. Linked to this, a lack of consistent industrial support and funding limits the ability for start-ups and research institutions to scale. 

    • Talent – Across advanced hardware technologies (including Photonics, Semiconductors and Quantum) there is a growing challenge in attracting students to pursue PhDs in specialised areas. There are also persistent concerns around talent retention, with highly-skilled individuals often leaving the UK after completing their training. Addressing this requires targeted funding for postgraduate education, alongside a broader, coordinated strategy that engages the entire ecosystem to retain and grow the UK’s talent base in this space. 

    • Ownership and communication – Fully unlocking the potential of Photonics in the UK requires clear leadership, coordination, and clarity around ownership and responsibility across industry, academia, and government. 

    • Emerging niches – The UK should focus on emerging Photonics niches through which it can disrupt existing global supply chains to create strategic leverage. Rather than competing broadly across all areas, the UK should concentrate on specific high-impact domains such as Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), Silicon Photonics, and pilot line capabilities, then invest deeply to become a global leader in these fields. 

  • Scottish SPAD Leadership – The UK has a strong legacy in Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs), with several start-ups now global leaders in this specialised area. The Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow are at the forefront of SPAD development, contributing to a technology that is already widely used in smartphones and other consumer electronics. While SPADs are now a mature technology, the UK is well-positioned to capitalise upon this expertise and subsequently strengthen its global leadership in related areas. 

  • Neuromorphic and AI Photonics – The UK is also emerging as a key player in neuromorphic computing and AI-enabled Photonics. Several innovative startups are active in this space, supported by strong academic leadership. The University of Strathclyde, home to the UK’s dedicated Centre for Neuromorphic Photonics, exemplifies the opportunity for the UK to lead in this field. 

Tales Gaspar, techUK’s Programme Manager Satellite and UK SPF, updated attendees on his work across communications infrastructure and services:  

  • Optical Communications Roadmap – techUK is currently organising roundtables, workshops, and opportunities for thought leadership to demonstrate some of the most exciting developments, trends and opportunities in optical wireless communications. 

  • Innovations in Private Networks – This roundtable will explore how terrestrial and satellite private networks can support digital transformation and resilience across UK infrastructure sectors. 

  • Intelligent Networks Awareness Day – As the telecommunications industry accelerates towards a future defined by AI-native networks, techUK is calling on innovators and researchers to share their insights and breakthroughs. 

  • Other Communications Infrastructure and Services events 

If you'd like to continue the conversation or get involved in the focus, please get in touch with our team below.