| The ultimate enabling technology
Photonics has near limitless uses and can be found in almost all of the products and services we use in everyday life. Photonics is the science and technology of light. Although most people don’t realise it, photonics technologies are widely integrated into products and systems across a broad range of sectors.
Enabling key industry sectors
Employment
Output
£13.5bn
69,000
£5.3bn
industry value to the UK economy
Harsh environment sensors for oil & gas
Here are just a few examples of the many applications of photonics technologies:
Value
Optical fibres for high bandwidth telecommunications
Laser-written diagnostics for healthcare
Silicon photonics for data centres Sensors for security
High power fibre lasers for manufacturing
total GVA
£76,400 GVA per employee
8.4%
like for like growth over two years (4.1% CAGR)
(vs UK manufacturing average of £67,000)
UK photonics manufacturing industry Putting the UK at the forefront of future industries
LIDAR for autonomous vehicles
people employed across the sector
Growth
The UK is an international leader in photonics research. Our science base has already given rise to a globally significant market which continues to expand at an impressive rate.
Photonics technologies are both ubiquitous and transformative. The UK photonics manufacturing industry is growing, as are many other high-tech industry sectors enabled by photonics. Investing in future photonics innovation is critical to retaining the UK’s competitive edge in the £400 billion global photonics market and offers vast potential to stimulate wider economic growth.
Source: The Photonics Leadership Group (PLG), June 2019
Head-up displays for aviation 8
Integrated photonics for quantum technology
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