An ambitious project, sprang in 2024
Institut Photonique came to light in 2024. This project is the fruit of a joint effort from public and private actors of the Grand Est region and Luxembourg. It has been officialised at a strategy committee during which a consortium composed of nine signatories was established for a duration of five years.
Our goal: to become a reference in photonics in Europe and to explore the various practical applications of light in different sectors, ranging from health to energy.
From its conception, Institut Photonique was thought out as a catalyst for innovation, gathering more than 300 researchers and students around photonics. Based on its founders’ expertise, the institute is committed to carrying out research projects, encouraging transfer of technology and drawing in new talents.
By emphasising education and dissemination, Institut Photonique aims at giving rise to vocations and at strengthening competitivity in the field.
Photonics at the heart of innovation
Photonics is at the heart of countless technological evolutions which mould our daily life. As a technology for the future, it offers solutions to contemporary challenges in various fields such as health, digital technology, computing and energy while reducing the energy and environmental footprint. Institut Photonique is committed to promoting this discipline as a lever for economic and social development.
By including photonics into practical applications, the institute contributes to revolutionizing key fields:
- More precise diagnoses and less invasive treatments in the healthcare field.
- Innovations in the field of energy, especially sustainable energy where photonics plays a crucial part.
- Technological advances in the fields of optical communication, information security and High-Performance Computing.
By making collaborative research between universities and companies a priority, the institute aims at stimulating the transfer of technology and encouraging the creation of startups.
By raising awareness among the public, the institute also aspires to create an environment appropriate for the emersion of new vocations. By training tomorrow’s talents and guiding people to fitting programs, Institut Photonique commits to making light a source of inspiration and innovation for future generations.
A few words from the Director
This idea of creating a large institute in France and in Europe, which would gather researchers, students, companies around photonics has been in my mind for a very long time. The International Year of Light in 2015, the creation of the Chair in Photonics which I have been the Head of since 2017 and most importantly its realisations in promoting, educating, and increasing the value of photonics were new opportunities to finally make this project come to life in 2024.
Institut Photonique is where several ambitions meet. First and foremost, the necessity of developing knowledge, training, research, and innovation in photonics in circumstances where the exploitation of light is a major contributor to developing an information and communication society which is mindful of the various energy and environmental challenges. Light is most likely the field of science and technology which will reconcile breakthrough innovation with our objective of sustainable development.
Furthermore, Institut Photonique is the manifestation of a collective goal on the part of the territories which consists in making a name for their talents, expertise, and skills and, in doing so, aiming together for a greater goal: boosting the attractivity of territories in terms of photonics.
The missions of Institut Photonique
Research
Institut Photonique primarily aims to carry out research programs, by encouraging academical and industrial actors to collaborate. The institute strives to develop solutions that meet current and future societal concerns by gathering researchers from various fields.
Transfer of technologies
Institut Photonique is also committed to accelerating the promotion of research and the transfer of technologies to the market.
Education
Nowadays, photonics is not sufficiently advertised to younger generations. Institut Photonique wishes to attract new talents into the field.
A project set up in the Grand Est region
With an emblematic building planned to rise in Metz in 2027, Institut Photonique establishes itself as a place of exchange and innovation where research and industry can collaborate closely.
This project, which is supported by major institutions of higher education such as CentraleSupélec, Université de Lorraine, the University of Technology of Troyes, the University of Strasbourg, the Université de Haute-Alsace, University of Luxembourg; participants in innovation such as SAYENS and Grand Est Développement, the large company GDI Simulation, the regional council of the Grand Est, the Moselle département and the Eurométropole de Metz, demonstrates the will to enhance the dynamism of the territory and to prioritise local skills in terms of photonics. Therefore, Institut Photonique represents much more than a mere educational entity, but the reflection of a collective goal to illuminate our future using the science of light.
