Photonics professionals focus on Munich

The who's who in the forward-looking field of optical technologies will come together in Munich next month at the World of Photonics Congress.

The who's who in the forward-looking field of optical technologies will come together again when Europe's photonics conference, the "World of Photonics Congress", 17th International Conference on Photonics in Europe, takes place from 12th to 17th June 2005 in Munich, Germany.

Professionals ranging from specialists from the field of photonics research and development to those who use lasers in industrial or medical applications will be using the Munich International Congress Centre (ICM) as a forum to exchange information on the latest advances in optical technologies in six specialised conferences under the umbrella of the "World of Photonics Congress" - with over 1800 selected individual and table-talk presentations, technical seminars, prominent keynote speakers, and panel discussions.

On 13th June, Edelgard Bulmahn, Germany's Federal Minister for Education and Research, whose ministry subsidises the event, will officially open the "World of Photonics Congress".

The topics covered by the "World of Photonics Congress" range from the foundational physics to established laser applications and continue on to technological advances in industry, medicine, and other fields of application.

The event simultaneously creates a platform for the transfer of knowledge between the different disciplines of optical technology as well as between science and industry, and thus provides the impetus for further developments and new advances in this promising sector of the high-tech industry.

Lasers have already proven their versatility, especially in industrial applications: as a flexible tool for cutting, welding or surface processing, this high-energy light promises short processing times, lowers production costs and opens new fields of application.

At the "World of Photonics Congress", among other things, companies will be introducing the innovative laser welding robots that they use, system suppliers will be presenting solutions for materials processing with lasers down to the nano scale, and researchers will be discussing the suitability of different types of lasers for "macromachining" and "microfabrication".

Here, the "LIM 2005" (Lasers in Manufacturing) technical conference for the German Scientific Society for Laser Technology (WLT), the SPIE's "Optical Metrology" event and the "EOS Conference on Industrial Imaging and Machine Vision" complement each other well.

They serve as platforms for discussing and introducing recently developed optical measurement processes and systems as well as image recognition and processing.

The spectrum of topics ranges from optical 3D sensors and nondestructive test processes to intelligent camera systems and "seeing" industrial robots.

Nonindustrial laser applications will also be discussed here in depth, especially the restoration and conservation of artwork and historical artifacts with the aid of optical tools.

Optical technologies have already been used successfully for years in the field of medicine, where they are also being developed further.

Current treatment methods ranging from photodynamic therapy in dermatology and the surgical use of energy-rich light in ophthalmology to laser cancer treatment in urology and neurosurgery are making constant evolutionary advances.

Revolutionary applications are especially coming from the newer fields of research, such as biophotonics, which enables the continuous monitoring and controlled manipulation of cell functions in vivo.

In the meantime, molecular imaging processes make it possible to take a noninvasive look at rheumatic arthritis and supports the investigation of programmed cell death (apoptosis).

Ultrashort laser pulses allow nanosurgical operation on living cells, and gentle laser therapies heal age-induced disease of the retina (selective retina therapy).

For the "World of Photonics Congress" - within the framework of the European Conference on Biomedical Optics (ECBO, which is cosponsored by OSA and SPIE) and the 15th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Laser Medicine (DGLM) - physicians and engineers who are engaged in scientific research, clinical researchers and technology users pool their expertise and experience in the area of medical optics and photonics, and thus lay the foundation for tomorrow's diagnostic and therapeutic methods.

Constant fundamental research is an absolute prerequisite for progress in all photonics applications.

Opening up new fields of applications and developing proven processes and products that are ready for the market can only be made possible by sound research - and by a transfer of knowledge between researchers and practitioners that is actively supported through the international participants in the "World of Photonics Congress".

Consequently, a large part of the congress takes a scientific approach with a strong practical orientation: institutions of higher education and research institutes report on new theoretical knowledge in areas such as quantum optics and atomic optics, present the latest research results for challenges such as increasing the performance of diode and semiconductor lasers, and introduce applications that are in the testing or prelaunch stage, such as optical communication systems and holographic storage technology.

Within the framework of the "World of Photonics Congress", CLEO/Europe EQEC is Europe's most comprehensive and most renowned conference for researchers and developers in the fields of optics and photonics.

This year, the conference will again not only bring numerous luminaries up to the podium to discuss all the theoretical and practical topics in optical technologies, it also promises to be very well received by the industry thanks to Laser 2005, which is being held at the same time.

Delegates for the six technical conferences for the "World of Photonics Congress" can register directly through the corresponding organisations.

Conference participants automatically also receive access to the Laser 2005 and FiberComm trade shows.

Comprehensive information about the "World of Photonics Congress", Laser 2005, all dates and times and the practical Internet Organiser are available online at www.photonics-congress.com.

The new special services for the conferences in the ICM include, among other things, the "E-Poster Station".

Here, from one central point, conference participants can call up all the poster presentations that are held during the congress and can thus gain information in a selective manner at their own pace and when they have time to do so.

For fast research on the worldwide web or for the sharing of experiences online via e-mail, numerous computers are available in the Internet cafe; laptop users can access the ICM's WLAN.

Munich Trade Fairs International has been awarded financial assistance from the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research to support the World of Photonics Congress.

By 2007 the conference programme will be expanded to include interdisciplinary topics such as national and international research programmes, the fostering of young professionals, and the transfer of technology as well as a sharpened focus on application-oriented issues to make the event Europe's leading congress in this sector.

The goal is to position Germany and Europe at the forefront of the field of international competitors and to reinforce and expand on the strong position that German companies in particular have in the field of photonics.

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