EU funds €5 million network to power Europe’s photonics talent pipeline

16 Sep 2025

European Commission investing to launch “Phortify” initiative to link continent’s leading classrooms and labs to boost skills and innovation.

A new Europe-wide initiative called Phortify – standing for Photonics education network for next-gen innovation and digital skills excellence for industry and society – aims to build a continent-wide talent pipeline for industry, giving companies access to graduates and professionals trained on real tools and challenges in photonics.

The European Commission is investing an initial €5 million (USD 5.9 million) in the new network. Phortify will create what is described as “a Europe-wide photonics curriculum across seven Master’s programs and modules co-designed with industry. This will enable students and professionals to earn recognized credentials and access top labs, instructors, and digital resources anywhere in Europe,” says this week’s statement from the EU.

The statement adds, “Photonics is foundational to modern industries, from high-speed communications and healthcare imaging to advanced manufacturing and AI. Globally, photonics is currently worth nearly €0.85 trillion (USD 1 trillion as of 2024). It is projected to grow to €1.4 trillion (USD 1.64 trillion) by 2032.”

Coordinated by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) with a dozen partners across Europe (see below), Phortify is looking to cover the full photonics value chain – from fundamentals to design, fabrication, packaging, testing, and deployment. The initiative is offering a shared photonics curriculum as electives within local Master’s programs, with a certificate awarded to students who complete 30 ECTS. The program is directly aligned with the EU’s Digital Europe mission to build strategic digital capacities.

Prof. Heidi Ottevaere, Project Coordinator, VUB, Belgium, commented, “Phortify is more than a project, it is a strategic investment in Europe’s digital future. By building a harmonized photonics education network, we are equipping the next generation with the innovation mindset and digital skills excellence that industry and society urgently need. This launch marks the beginning of a powerful collaboration across borders, disciplines and sectors.”

Beyond the classroom

Beyond the Master’s level, Phortify will launch lifelong-learning, self-standing modules co-designed with industry for professionals looking to upskill via modular, stackable micro-credentials that target specific competencies without the need for lengthy career breaks. It will build an open-access digital library to make high-quality photonics training accessible to students, researchers and professionals.

All participants will have access to the full network of courses and facilities, and the learning experience will be hybrid by design, through XR-enabled and remote labs, combined with short on-site intensives, internships, and guest lectures. Students can also benefit from short, focused mobility windows and industry-supervised challenges, while an expanding library of software, datasets, and remote lab interfaces supports independent learning and team projects.

Chief Technology Officer at Active Fiber Systems, Germany, Tino Eidam said: “Europe needs photonics talent, such as engineers who understand the entire chain from design to deployment. Phortify’s curriculum, stackable modules, and hands-on projects help build exactly those skills. For companies, this means access to well-prepared professionals who can contribute to innovation and support the development of advanced photonics solutions in a more targeted and efficient way.”

The project also prioritizes diversity and inclusion, with financial aid, mentoring and targeted outreach, while investing in a sustainable pan-European partnership connecting academia and industry. To attract top students from underrepresented groups, Phortify will develop a comprehensive support framework that includes scholarships, fee waivers, cost-of-living support, and mobility/travel grants.

Phortify partners

The initiative will be delivered by a consortium of 12 leading organisations across Europe, coordinated by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in Belgium, working alongside Universiteit Gent (UGent). From Italy, the partners include Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) and the Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IFN-CNR), while Germany contributes Active Fiber Systems GmbH (AFS), Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (FSU), and the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz-IPHT). Spain is represented by the Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO-CERCA), the Netherlands by Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e) and SMART Photonics B.V., Poland by the Warsaw University of Technology (WUT), and Finland by the University of Eastern Finland (UEF).