Berlin, May 21, 2026 – At the “PHOTONICS GERMANY – Future Summit and Industry Meeting 2026” in Berlin yesterday, leading representatives from business, research and politics discussed the future of photonics and quantum technologies in Germany. The event was organized by PHOTONICS GERMANY – the alliance of the German industry association SPECTARIS and OptecNet Deutschland.
The program of the Future Summit highlighted the role of photonics as a key technology for innovation, industrial value creation and technological sovereignty. The focus was on contributions to quantum technologies, defense and security technologies as well as aerospace applications. Representatives from leading companies and research institutes – including ZEISS, JENOPTIK, TRUMPF, ASML, Hensoldt and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft – discussed current challenges and future prospects for the industry. Topics ranged from quantum communication and technological sovereignty to photonic technologies for security and defense applications as well as satellite-based communication.
On the occasion of the event, Gitta Connemann, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, emphasized the strategic importance of the industry: “Photonics is a key technology for crucial industries of our time: microelectronics, medical technology, defence, aerospace and quantum communication. The future needs photonics.” Connemann also refers to the high innovative strength of the German photonics industry with over 1,000 companies, around 190,000 employees and an annual turnover of around 50 billion euros.
“Photonics is an industry of the future with enormous leverage for innovation, digitalization and industrial competitiveness. Without modern photonics, many modern applications would be inconceivable,” said Jörg Mayer, Managing Director of SPECTARIS. “Germany has excellent research, strong companies and a high level of international visibility. It is now crucial to further develop the location conditions so that we can scale up our innovations in Germany in the future.”
“The PHOTONICS GERMANY alliance has developed into the largest national platform for photonics in Europe. With our Future Summit, we have once again succeeded in bringing together leading representatives from industry, politics and science and providing important impetus for the future of the industry,” said Dr. Andreas Ehrhardt, CEO of OptecNet Germany.
The PHOTONICS GERMANY Future Summit brings together key players in the industry every two years. The focus in each case is on current economic and technological developments in the photonics industry as it tackles the challenges facing society as a whole.
PHOTONICS GERMANY is the alliance of the photonics associations SPECTARIS e.V. and OptecNet Deutschland e.V. It strengthens the position of the German high-tech sector at national and European level. To this end, the Alliance initiates activities to strengthen the competitiveness of companies and research institutions. In particular, the framework conditions for photonics and quantum technologies are to be further improved and funding opportunities developed in a targeted manner. PHOTONICS GERMANY offers itself to politicians as a representative point of contact, especially on the topics of funding policy, legislation and securing skilled workers. In addition, PHOTONICS GERMANY is available to international associations as a central dialog partner.