A multi-million pound government initiative to strengthen the UK's optical technology industry has been launched.
The Pounds 11 million programme, aimed at encouraging greater links between universities and companies to develop new optical applications, will be matched by the private sector.
More than Pounds 20 million could be spent in the next five years, helping to keep the UK at the forefront of this sector. The announcement follows the successful Pounds 38 million spin-out of Southampton University's optical technology company Southampton Photonics, reported in The THES on 17 June.
The Link programme, Optical Systems for the Digital Age, will support collaboration between industry, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, and universities on projects involving the application of optical techniques and devices and will promote the novel use of such technologies in a wide variety of sectors.
The Department of Trade and Industry will provide up to Pounds 6 million over five years, with a further Pounds 5 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Industry will contribute matching funds on a project-by-project basis.
Optical systems have a wide range of applications, particularly in computing and communications, where they will allow high-bandwidth multimedia services to be delivered through the internet and provide greater network flexibility and functionality for mobile communications services.
The programme will involve research in the following areas:
* Optical communications including novel architectures, optical transmission, switching and routing, optics in broadcasting, RF-on-fibre mobile communications
* Imaging and sensor networks for applications including safety and security systems, structural monitoring, pollution control, fire detection and industrial process control
* Compact, high-efficiency laser systems for medical, environmental and industrial applications
* Optics in computer systems and displays, including optical interconnect, backplanes, databuses, optical information processing and flat-panel displays.
Science minister Lord Sainsbury said: "The Link programme is an excellent example of how we can encourage universities and industry to work more closely together in developing technologies for the future.
"The UK has a world-class reputation in optical technologies - our achievements include the invention of the optical fibre amplifier and light-emitting polymers.
"UK businesses have also succeeded in gaining a substantial share in the Pounds 30 billion world market for optical communications. In the past year alone, more than 6,000 new jobs in research and development and manufacturing have been announced in the optical systems and components industry."
For further details, email: peter.batchelor@dti.gsi.gov.uk orglenys.france@epsrc.ac.uk.