Photonics innovators worldwide invited to compete for SPIE Prism Awards

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, is inviting the community to apply for the 2027 SPIE Prism Awards, which recognize outstanding new products making waves on the market. Honorees will be announced at the highly-anticipated award ceremony on 3 February 2027 at SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco, California.

The PRISM Awards, dubbed the “Oscars of Photonics,” provide scientists and engineers in the optics and photonics industry the opportunity to showcase their contributions to the field. Finalists and winners receive extensive print, web, and onsite promotion at SPIE Photonics West, which draws more than 22,000 researchers and industry leaders every year.  

“The Prism Awards are recognized across the optics and photonics industry,” said Rob Devlin, co-founder and CEO of Metalenz, which won the Prism Awards Cameras and Imaging category in 2023 and 2026 for their products PolarEyes™ and Polar ID, respectively. “Winning helped Metalenz reach potential customers and partners outside of our existing channels.” 

In 2025, the Prism Award in the biomedical category went to Norlase for their product, LYNX, a pattern scanning laser indirect ophthalmoscope. Oliver Hvidt, CEO and co-founder of Norlase said, “For a company deeply rooted in photonics, the Prism Award is one of the highest honors we could achieve. It gave our underlying technology a strong layer of industry credibility. Since Photonics West 2025, LYNX has proven its value in the clinic, becoming one of the fastest medical devices ever to be adopted by all of the top five eye hospitals in the world.” 

Announced alongside the Prism Awards is the SPIE Catalyst Award, now in its third year. This recognition honors for-profit companies for specific programs they offer that make a significant positive workplace, environmental, or societal impact. The 2026 Catalyst Award winner was Cerca Magnetics Limited for their Quantum OPM-MEG, a brain scanner that relies on quantum enabled sensors to track development of brain function in children who have been identified as having a greater chance of developing autism because they have siblings with the condition. 

Finalists for this year’s Prism Awards will be announced on 4 November 2026. A panel of distinguished experts will judge those finalists, with winners in nine categories being announced at the awards ceremony. 

Applications to apply for the Prism Awards are open now and, close 11 September 2026. For full details and to submit your product for consideration, visit SPIE Prism Awards.