SPIE Photonics West, Advanced Lithography, AR/VR/MR, and other early 2021 events go virtual

17 Dec 2020

International optics and photonics society to use its digital forum platform to present first five meetings of 2021.

SPIE Photonics West, which normally convenes in San Francisco, will be held as an interactive, virtual conference 6-11 March 2021. North America's largest optics and photonics technology event — with its popular BiOS, LASE, and OPTO conferences — held by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, also includes two digital exhibitions and the industry-focused Quantum West.

Registration for SPIE Photonics West will open 5 January.

In addition to SPIE Photonics West, the following SPIE 2021 conferences will also be held via the organization's digital-forum platform: SPIE Advanced Lithography; SPIE Medical Imaging; SPIE AR/VR/MR; and SPIE Smart Structures + Nondestructive Evaluation.

“The SPIE Digital Forum platform was developed to help people share results and make connections during the pandemic, and we've continued to fine-tune our virtual platform and digital offerings throughout this year,” commented SPIE CEO Kent Rochford.

“We'll be implementing the latest improvements during Photonics West and are excited to release them to our attendees, presenters, and exhibitors. These forums, as always, ensure the professional discussion, innovation sharing, and networking opportunities that the SPIE community values and relies on to advance its research, product development, and engineering collaborations.”

2020 SPIE President John Greivenkamp added, “It has been a challenging year for our entire community, and I know that I am not alone in my desire to meet in person to exchange ideas, research, technological advances, and new products. We are hopeful of being able to gather in person later in 2021. In the meantime, I invite you to join us online at one or more of these dynamic conferences and look forward to seeing you there.”

Showcase

Each year, SPIE Photonics West showcases the latest in applications, technologies, and discoveries in optics and photonics, with three major conference tracks: BiOS, highlighting new research in biophotonics, biomedical optics, and applications of medical imaging; LASE, with its focus on the laser industry and applications; and OPTO, showcasing optoelectronics, photonic materials, and related devices. In addition, the symposium is introducing a new conference, highlighting photonics research and technologies addressing Covid-19.

Photonics West 2021 will also feature a Digital Marketplace with product demos showcasing the latest in optics and photonics technologies and opportunities to connect with the industry's leading suppliers and companies.

The SPIE Digital Forums will offer a convenient, high-quality, and timely way for researchers, engineers, and government and industry leaders in the photonics community to share emerging research, new results, and technological advances with their peers.

The online format makes presentations and discussion accessible during the Forum in whatever time zone is convenient for the participant and in any order. In addition, the Digital Forums will include networking opportunities, live plenary sessions, and special events. All conference presentations and manuscripts will be accessible after the conference via the SPIE Digital Library. Registration and pricing information is available on each event webpage.