Support for Photonics SMEs Offered by European Roadshow

The seven major roadshow events in seven different European countries are aimed at helping SMEs, in particular, to overcome market-entry barriers and will take place from May 2018 through to the May 2019. Each roadshow in the series has a specific market focus on one of the life science market sectors in which the EPRISE project operates: medical technologies, pharmaceuticals, food and agriculture.

The roadshows are aimed at businesses operating in photonics, end-users, regional authorities and researchers alike, and are free of charge to attendees. A panel of experts will present on the opportunities and challenges relating to the market area of focus of each event. Pre-arranged business to business meetings between SMEs, end users and integrators will be organised to stimulate and strengthen collaborations along the value chain, at regional, national and European levels. An opportunity for businesses to ​‘ask the expert’ about a particular issue relating to their photonics business will also be available. 

The project aims to help innovative SMEs benefit from regional and European funding streams, and local regions benefit, in turn, from increased economic activity when their SMEs are successful.

The EPRISE project also aims to engage with regional policy makers across Europe to provide an overview of photonics activity across their region, highlighting the potential of the photonics sector. The roadshows are a forum to promote the economic benefits of investing in photonics as a key enabling technology and to identify potential funding synergies.

The first roadshow in Florence from 16 – 17 May ​‘Agriculture at the centre of the digital economy’, focuses on AgriTech and the application of new and advanced technologies like photonics, robotics, Internet of Things and sensors, big data and earth observation in agriculture. The second roadshow of the series will focus on photonics in healthcare markets and will take place in Stockholm from 11 – 12 June.

EPRISE project coordinator, Cecilia Pinto from photonics innovation cluster Optitec in France said: ​“We are delighted to be able to announce the start of the European Photonics Roadshows, a new series of events designed to provide support to companies operating in the photonics industry. The roadshows will seek to raise the profile of photonics and its potential to end-users by bringing together these key groups.”

View the Photonics Roadshow website for more event information and registration details.