The Innovation Award returns for its fourth year at Laser World of Photonics to celebrate the most innovative products and technologies emerging from the photonics industry.
An expert panel of judges have selected 20 finalists from more than 70 entries, which are competing for recognition in their individual categories and the chance to win the prestigious €5,000 Innovation prize, sponsored by Europa Science, the publisher of Electro Optics and Imaging and Machine Vision Europe.
This winner, as well as the top finalist from each category, will be announced at Laser World of Photonics in Munich in June. The shortlisted entries, by category, are as follows:
Laser and optoelectronics / Illumination and energy
- Edmund Optics – PeakPower High LDT Low GDD Ultrafast Mirrors
- TRUMPF Laser – TruMicro 9010
Biophotonics and medical engineering
- Futonics Laser – Thulium Fibre Laser 1,000W QCW / 200W CW
- LaserAtWork – Hummingbird
- TOPTICA Photonics – FemtoFiber ultra FD
Quantum Technologies
- Attocube Systems – attoCMC
- Menhir Photonics – MENHIR-1030 at 1GHz
- TOPTICA Photonics – CTL 780
Optics / Manufacturing technology for optics
- Midel Photonics – All-Reflective Beam Shaping
- OPTOMAN – Non-Degrading UV Optics
Sensors, test and measurement / Optical Measuring Systems / Imaging
- FiconTEC Service – Double-sided electro-optical PIC Wafer Tester
- Hamamatsu Photonics Deutschland – Fingertip-sized UV MiniSpektrometer C16767MA
- Pi Imaging Technology – SPAD Alpha
Laser systems for industrial production engineering
- EKSPLA – Zero-maintenance industrial femtosecond 50W laser featuring waterless cooling
- K2 Photonics – K2-ASOPS
- ROBUST AO – Zwobbel-IR-HP
Optical information and communication / Security
- Innolume – High saturation power O-band semiconductor optical amplifier
- Piezosystem Jena – PSH 20/2 and PSH 35/2 Tip-tilting stages
- Quantum Industries – entanglement-based QKD system
On the judging panel were: Tom Hausken, Optica (formerly OSA); Agnes Hübscher, Edmund Optics; Chris Yates, Vision Ventures, Germany; Wilhelm Kaenders, TOPTICA Photonics; Prof Peter Loosen, Fraunhofer-Institut für Lasertechnik ILT; Prof Jürgen Popp, Leibniz-Institut für Photonische Technologien Jena; Peter Soldan, VDI Technologiezentrum; Prof Ronald Sroka, LIFE-Center, University Hospital Munich; Dr Wenko Süptitz, SPECTARIS; Prof Andreas Tünnermann, Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Optik und Feinmechanik IOF; Prof Paul Urbach, TU Delft; with Warren Clark, Europa Science CEO and co-founder of the award, as moderator.
Clark said: "This year's Innovation Award shortlist showcases the extraordinary depth of creativity and technological advancement in the photonics industry. From quantum technologies to medical engineering, these 20 finalists represent the cutting edge of innovation, demonstrating why photonics continues to be one of the most dynamic and transformative fields of our time.
“The Innovation Award, alongside Electro Optics’ Photonics100 and Photonics Frontiers Award and Imaging and Machine Vision Europe’s Visionaries campaign, is now firmly part of the annual calendar of recognition for the innovators in our amazing industry.”
The Innovation Award ceremony will take place on June 24, 2025, as part of the exhibitor evening of Laser World of Photonics 2025.
The following evening, June 25, 2025, Electro Optics will announce the winner of the Photonics Frontiers Award, which celebrates innovative projects where photonics plays a pivotal role in solving real-world challenges. Further details about the shortlisted projects will be available on the Electro Optics website in the coming weeks. We are also organising a series of webcasts showcasing the Photonics Frontiers Award entries. You can register to join here:
- Biophotonics and healthcare applications and Laser technologies and applications - Wednesday, 21 May
- Imaging technologies and Optical communications and networking - Wednesday, 28 May
- Photonic and optical sensors; Environmental monitoring and sustainability; and Spectroscopy and analytical techniques - Thursday, 29 May
Previous winners of the €5,000 Innovation award include Civan Lasers in 2023 for its DBL 100kW in the ‘Laser systems for industrial production engineering’ category; and SI Stuttgart Instruments in 2021 for its Alpha scientific laser.