The national agenda aims to intensify and accelerate the application of photonic technologies for resolving societal challenges and creating new business.

The global growth of the photonics industry is estimated at 40% in the next five years.

Photonics is one of the spearheads in the coalition agreement.

300

Almost 300 companies work directly on photonics products, with an estimated total turnover of more than 4 billion euros

Download
document

WHAT IS PHOTONICS?

Photonics is the technology that focuses on the generation, transport and detection of light waves and light particles, also known as photons.

Photonic solutions are a response to the growing need for communication, food production, living comfort, digitization of industry and health.

Photonics is a success factor of our high-tech industry, now and in the future.

Examples of successful Dutch products:

Fluorescence Lifetime (FLIM)-camera’s

Fluorescence Lifetime (FLIM) cameras are used in cancer research, among other things to measure the efficacy of chemotherapy within a few days versus more than 2 months now. (Lambert Instruments)

Spectroscopie

Spectroscopy solutions are used in both harvesting and manure distribution. (Avantes)

Zorgketen

Photonics offers solutions for the whole care chain from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis and treatment and home care, such as digital pathology. (Philips)

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality platform technology is used in health care: this means that a patient no longer needs to be out of the house for control, the hospital in the ambulance can already view the transfer and a situation can be quickly assessed from a distance in maternity care. (GemVision)

Monochrome printtechnologie

Laser-based monochrome printing technology that can print on multiple substrates without consumables or coatings. The inkless technology is a revolutionary new step, especially for printing on paper objects. (Tocano)

What does the photonic market look like?

The photonic market is developing rapidly. The global growth of the photonics industry is estimated at 40% over the next five years:

Almost 300 Dutch companies
Of which a large proportion of SMEs work directly on photonics products
With an estimated total turnover of more than 4 billion euros

The National Agenda Photonics:

The National Agenda Photonics is a concrete plan for targeted reinforcement of the Dutch photonics ecosystem and accelerating innovation.
The entire sector will focus on awareness and branding, knowledge road maps, skills and education.

An overview of the Dutch photonics industry, consisting of ecosystems, companies and research institutes.
An analysis of the 6 market-oriented clusters, and 2 basic technology clusters, Dutch Optics Center and PhotonDelta.
With 8 developed investment initiatives for new technology development.
An explanation of an eight-year investment program that can start immediately with the help of existing structures and organizations.

Financing

For the investment initiatives within the framework of the National Agenda on Photonics, a total investment amount of an order of 60 million euros per year has been provided, which will partly be financed publicly and partly privately. This as a reinforcement of the hundreds of millions that are already invested in photonics by the market.