The UK at Photonics West 2025
27 - 30 January 2025
The UK is delighted to be at Photonics West 2025, showcasing the very best innovative photonics companies from across the country to buyers and investors around the world.
Photonics West UK Company Directory
Visit the UK Pavilion at Booths 4923, 5017 and 5023 to learn about the strengths of the UK photonics industry and discover opportunities with leading companies. Search our Digital Directory to see all British exhibitors at Photonics West 2025.
British Afternoon Tea at Photonics West 2025
29 January 2025, 2 – 3:30pm
Come and join us for a complementary British Afternoon Tea and meet the UK exhibitors at Photonics West 2025! With a dozen exhibitors and 50 additional UK companies we are bringing the best of UK photonics to the Moscone Center! Swing by the UK pavilion for spot for tea and networking. Register now.
UK delegation speaking slots at Photonics West 2025
Click here to find out about UK delegation speaking slots and presentations.
Why the UK?
Talent, skills and opportunities:
- World-class university research
- Well-developed talent pool
- 1500+ photonics companies in the UK
- Strong photonics community, networks and collaborative culture
- Strong demand from communication providers, data centres and UK Government innovation programmes
- Access to key enabling technologies, materials, components and devices
Market Opportunity:
Multinational investors and companies are developing and manufacturing in the UK, including:
- Lumentum – fibre optic transceivers for optical communications
- Toshiba – Quantum Key Distribution for secure financial transactions
- Coherent – manufacturing lasers for export globally
- Trumpf Laser UK – uses holey fibres in fibre lasers for laser marking and cutting
Ecosystem:
- University of Strathclyde, Institute of Photonics: An international leader in use-inspired research
- Fraunhofer Centre for Advanced Photonics: Applied research, development and engineering for industrial applications
- University of Southampton, Optoelectronics Research Centre: developed the Fibre Bragg grating used in optical sensors
- The University of Edinburgh, LiFi Development Centre: Secure optical communication saving wireless spectrum
- Aston Institute of Photonics Technologies: Future optical communications technologies
- UCL-Cambridge Centre for Doctoral Training: Connected Electronics and Photonics Systems
Key sector stats:
- UK photonics has grown into a $20bn industry, with like-for-like revenue growth at 7% and profit growth at 9% from 2020 to 2022
- 79,100 people are now employed in photonics in the UK, and photonics is the 5th most productive UK manufacturing sector
- Eight UK regions produce over $1bn worth of photonics goods and services, with particular strengths in south-west England, Scotland and Northern Ireland
- With increased demand across agriculture, health, communications, defence, satellites and manufacturing, UK photonics is forecast to grow to over a $21bn industry by 2024 and is on track to reach its vision of being a $63bn industry by 2035
- Our universities have been global leaders in the field for nearly 150 years since Maxwell published the theories of optics, and today some 20% of global publications in the field originate in the UK
Source: Photonics Leadership Group, 2023
