As the geopolitical race for technological sovereignty intensifies, the European photonics industry is making a bold collective move. In early October, a coalition led by Photonics21 and backed by a group of tech giants including Volkswagen, Zeiss, Bosch, Trumpf and others, issued a joint call for the next EU research and innovation framework, otherwise known as FP10, to include a dedicated photonics program alongside a €2 billion budget.

According to Photonics 21, the European technology platform for photonics, the region’s industry in the sector is worth an estimated €124 billion and it is currently expanding at a rate that is five times greater than the growth rate of the overall EU economy. The reason for this is that the photonics field underpins critical sectors, from artificial intelligence, quantum computing, secure communications, energy to health care, defense, space and mobility.

Europe’s inaction would risk ceding ground and slipping further behind global competitors, the coalition warns. In a statement, the group shared data showing that the continent’s share of the global photonics market dropped to 15% while China’s surged to 32% by 2022 from just 10% in 2005. The coalition calls for decisive action, arguing that supply chains for critical photonics components will remain vulnerable, and Europe could become increasingly dependent on foreign imports.

The €2 billion EU program proposed by the coalition is intended to encourage a surge in industrial investment from private companies eager to invest. The group estimates that this could trigger an additional €6–8 billion in spending. Their proposal includes a series of projects with large-scale public funding targeting applications in quantum, defense and health care. The projects, referred to as Photonics Grand Challenges, would attract in the range of €250–900 million per challenge.

An ambitious photonics program within FP10 would accelerate the translation of laboratory breakthroughs into market-ready technologies.

For people working in the photonics field, from researchers and engineers to policymakers, the stakes are high. An ambitious photonics program within FP10 would accelerate the translation of laboratory breakthroughs into market-ready technologies. In doing so, this would encourage a proliferation of SMEs and startups, strengthen the continent’s supply chains and, ultimately, support Europe’s autonomy when it comes to critical enabling technologies.

With FP10 scheduled to guide the EU research and innovation agenda from 2028 to 2034, the coming months will be crucial for the photonics community. Now speaking with a unified industrial voice, this moment could mark a turning point where light-based technologies become the foundation of European technological sovereignty.