SPIE details Photonics West 2027 and invites photonics community…

SPIE Photonics West will be held 30 January-4 February 2027 in San Francisco, California. The annual event brings together 24,000 people from the global optics and photonics community to foster collaboration and innovation.

Host SPIE invites the global optics and photonics community to register for the event taking place at its usual venue, the Moscone Center. The dynamic week provides technical presentations, exhibitions, and networking opportunities that fuel collaboration and real-world innovation.

SPIE anticipates more than 4,500 presentations will be given across six technical application areas:

• AR | VR | MR, focuses on augmented, virtual, and mixed reality
• BiOS, highlights new research in biophotonics, biomedical optics, and imaging
• Embedded Vision Summit, highlights emerging computer vision and physical AI
• LASE, focuses on the laser industry and its diverse applications
• OPTO, covers optoelectronics, photonic materials, and optical devices
• Quantum West, features quantum 2.0 technologies

New to SPIE Photonics West in 2027, the Embedded Vision Summit is a premier conference and tradeshow for innovators incorporating computer vision and physical AI into products. The Embedded Vision Summit will bring a community of engineers and product developers who are building advanced vision-based products to enable vision- and AI-based capabilities such as object detection, tracking, localization and mapping, and 3D modeling.

With presentations highlighting the latest commercially available computer vision tools being used in development of practical, marketable, and innovative products, and exhibitors showcasing advancements in processors, algorithms, software, sensors, development tools, and services, the Summit will give Photonics West attendees exposure to a growing photonics-enabled field.

Key presentations

“The entire photonics ecosystem is represented at Photonics West,” said SPIE Senior Director, Science, Technology, and Industry Programs Bob Hainsey. “The event not only provides researchers the opportunity to highlight their most recent findings, but also to build networks that enable future collaborations throughout the industry.”

The packed week includes Hot Topics and plenary speakers who will highlight the latest research breakthroughs. Attendees can hear talks from the following:

• José Capmany, Univ. Politècnica de València
• Jennifer Dionne, Stanford Univ.
• Chris Dorman, Coherent Corp.
• Keisuke Goda, Univ. of Tokyo
• Ludovic Godet, Applied Materials
• Ken Goldberg, Univ. of California, Berkeley
• Marie Henderson, Univ. of Maryland Baltimore County and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
• David Hollibaugh Baker, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
• Kelly Ingham, Meta
• Ebrahim Karimi, Univ. of Ottawa
• Kenny Kubala, Snap
• Michelle Kueppers, Stanford Univ.
• Pierre Laboisse, Aledia
• Amir Navot, Amazon Prime Air
• Mackenzie Nelson, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• Kae Nemoto, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
• Susumu Noda, Kyoto Univ.
• Lev Perelman, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School
• Nirmala Ramanujam, Duke Univ.
• Pete Shadbolt, PsiQuantum
• Yating Wan, King Abdullah Univ. of Science and Technology
• Maciej Wojtkowski, Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS

Exhibitions

More than 1,400 exhibitors from around the world will showcase new products and seek partnership opportunities at the two exhibitions during Photonics West. SPIE BiOS Expo runs from 30-31 January and hosts industry-leading biomedical optics and biophotonics companies. The SPIE Photonics West Exhibition, the largest photonics exhibition in North America, includes Quantum West, Vision Tech, and AR | VR | MR, and runs from 2-4 February. Exhibiting companies will display products and services, with many launching new products during the week. The three-day exhibit offers ample opportunities for attendees to meet with exhibitors and discuss the products that will advance innovations and research.

“Photonics West is one of the most valuable opportunities Toptica has each year to connect face-to-face with customers, colleagues, and students looking to enter the industry,” said Toptica Photonics Marketing Manager Stacie Foster. “For anyone in the optics and photonics community, Photonics West is the place to make connections that will last long after the show floor closes.”

Alongside the exhibitions, Photonics West will have five industry stages with programs featuring panels and presentations from innovators, funders, and thought leaders across the photonics industrial landscape, including the growing quantum photonics market.

The three-day Quantum West Business Summit gathers leaders from the quantum industry who are bringing products to market and building the quantum roadmaps and marketplace. Also on the show floor is the inspiring SPIE Startup Challenge, which offers entrepreneurs an entry point into high-tech business development. Arnold Estrada, CEO and co-founder of SPKL, the winner of the $5,000 second prize at the 2026 pitch contest, said that being involved “increased SPKL’s credibility with potential investors.”

Awards season

Returning again to Photonics West are the distinguished Prism Awards, where nine pioneering photonics companies are honored for innovative products, and the Global Business Forum, a one-day event where leading analysts will share data and trends impacting businesses across the photonics sector. Speakers at the Forum this year include Zheng Liu, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; Dame Hayaatun Sillem, Argentic Associates; Hong Liu, Google; and Rob Singh, MDA Space, among others. Industry executives are invited to participate in these events; separate registration is required.

“We’re welcoming the global photonics community back to San Francisco for SPIE Photonics West 2027,” said SPIE Senior Director of Events and Exhibition Services Jenifer Dodds. “From groundbreaking advances in biomedical optics, lasers, and quantum technologies to our newly expanded vision program featuring Embedded Vision Summit, attendees will experience the innovations transforming industries and improving lives. We look forward to another inspiring week of discovery, collaboration, and innovation.”

Get full details and register at SPIE Photonics West.

SPIE and Montana announce $1M funding

SPIE and Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman, Montana, have announced the SPIE Professorship in Montana Optics and Photonics, the 15^th endowment established through the Society’s matching program. The $500,000 gift from SPIE is fully matched by a $500,000 bequest to the Montana State University Alumni Foundation, resulting in a $1-million endowed fund. The announcement was made during the 32^nd annual Optical Technology Center Conference, held at the university on 8 October.

Part of the SPIE Endowment Matching Program, this new fund will support a position within MSU’s Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering to carry out teaching, mentoring, and research in optics and photonics. The Professorship will be awarded to an outstanding tenure or research-track faculty member demonstrating leadership, professionalism, and impact on the success of the University.

Fran Albrecht, president and CEO of the MSU Alumni Foundation, said, “The endowed professorship will provide lasting and meaningful support for research and education while helping MSU prepare the next generation of engineers, scientists, and innovators in one of the world’s fastest-growing fields.”

The Optical Technology Center at MSU is a multidisciplinary center where students, faculty, and others work together to find innovative solutions and new applications in optical technology. MSU staff have built a successful program that fosters the next generation of optics and photonics professionals.

“This endowment will help Montana State University attract and retain top faculty who continue to work in this exciting field for years to come, and those faculty will have access to steady funding to provide students with opportunities to work on world-class research and travel to conferences or other professional activities,” said Joseph Shaw, director of MSU’s Optical Technology Center and Distinguished Professor of Optics and Electrical Engineering.

The SPIE Endowment Matching Program was established in 2019 to increase international capacity in the teaching and research of optics and photonics. With this latest gift, SPIE has provided over $6 million in matching gifts, resulting in more than $15 million in dedicated funds.