Digital photography, scanners at checkout counters, music on CDs, optical biochips for new medicines or lasers for material processing are familiar parts of everyday life in our society. Those examples do not exhaust the potential of optical technologies: Bold visions such as TVs as organic light-emitting wallpaper computers processing data solely by means of light inspire developers in research laboratories. While the electron was at the center of the ICT revolution of the 20th Century, the 21st century can become the "century of the photon".
In this field the capital-region Berlin-Brandenburg has an excellent basis. With their broad range of Know-How - local companies and research institutions today belong to the most distinguished Photonic-locations of Europe in the following fields of activity:
- LASER TECHNOLOGY
- Light Technology
- Optical Communication Technology
- Optical Messurring Technology and Sensors
- Optical Technologies in Biomedical Science
- Mikrosystems Technology
In the Berlin-Brandenburg region one finds a distinctive blend of academic institutions and small and medium-sized enterprises. Overall, optical technologies and microsystems technology provide 13.000 jobs in industry and research. Via the regional bundling of the potential in industry and research, the competitiveness of the region, its economy, its science and its workforce is strengthened in the global competition, and the sustainability of new enterprises and industrial settlement are secured.
To ensure effective collaboration between industry, science and policy, the TSB pursues a concentration of activities and joint efforts by Optec Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. (OpTecBB), Laser Association Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. and the Center for Microsystems Technology (ZEMI). Thereby, expertise will be available in this area which is based on a research and technology landscape unique in Germany, and which successfully backs up the master plan.
Regional Flagship projects
The master plan for the optical technology provides for the promotion of flagship projects with national and international importance expected to provide impetus for future development in the region. As a part of the flagship project “innovative Beleuchtung” (innovative lighting) new possibilities for energy-efficient lighting concepts are being developed for working the entire Berlin city lights.
By means of a mobile scanner which is being developed as part of the second flagship project, “fresh-scan”, the degree of freshness of selected food – during the pilot phase firstly of meat – can be measured and documented accurately.
Regional networks are complementary and enhance the region. OpTecBB is the competence field manager for Optical Technologies. The TSB, as initiator and coordinator of the Quadriga process, supports the work of OpTecBB since many years by promoting important projects, as co-organizer of the congress-fairs LASER OPTICS BERLIN and microsys Berlin, and by actively participating in OpTecBB. Within the TSB Innovation Agency, the TSB ADLERSHOF is responsible for the technology fields optical technologies and microsystems technology.
Importance for the economy
Optical technologies are an important lever for many industries - from electronics to mechanical engineering to medicine. Linking traditional optics with new concepts, new types of optical components, materials, and interdisciplinary applications has led to a significant development momentum.
New findings from the research laboratories are directly transferred into application, giving participating companies above-average growth rates, and providing significant impetus for other future technologies such as information and communication technology and medical technology. Apart from a few large enterprises, mainly small and medium-sized companies dominate this industry sector.
Importance for the labor market
In 2010 about 1.000 German companies working in the field of Optical Technologies achieved a total annual turnover of 21.9 billion euros, reaching a sales increase by 19 percent, after a downturn in 2009. The number of employees rose to 124,000 (see SPECTARIS 2011).
Support from the Federal government
The Federal Government's aim is to realize the projected job growth in optical technologies. It is poised to rapidly exploit new technological opportunities and if possible, win lost mass production back to Germany
