The space optics industry is on the cusp of a revolution, driven by advances in photonics, materials science and manufacturing technologies. As the demand for space-based applications continues to grow, the need for innovative optical solutions has never been more pressing. The purpose of this session is to provide a platform for industry leaders to showcase the latest developments in space optics, discuss the current challenges and future directions of the field and explore opportunities for collaboration and innovation.

This session will bring together leading experts from the space optics sector to share their insights on the latest trends, challenges and opportunities in the field. Through a series of presentations and discussions, attendees will enhance their understanding of the cutting-edge technologies and applications that are shaping the future of space optics. The format will include invited presentations from industry leaders and experts, followed by a panel discussion or Q&A session to facilitate interaction and debate. There will be opportunities for networking and one-on-one discussions during breaks and after the session.

Driven by the demands of AI, optical interconnects for data centers and high-performance computing are poised to overcome the data bottlenecks limiting today's systems. To achieve this, substantial improvements are needed in bandwidth, efficiency and latency compared to existing copper cables or pluggable optics interconnects. Silicon photonics offers a promising solution for co-packaged optics and other applications. However, this technology needs to better emulate the silicon microelectronics ecosystem and will require commitments from major silicon foundries.

This session will bring together experts from silicon photonics R&D foundries, commercial foundries and system integrators to discuss the state of the industry, customer requirements for silicon photonics and fab readiness. Is silicon photonics finally ready for mainstream adoption? What role will R&D fabs play moving forward? What do customers expect from commercial fabs in terms of cost, cycle time and performance? What are the requirements for laser sources? Will silicon photonics play a role in quantum computing? These and other questions will be addressed through invited presentations, interactive panel discussions and networking opportunities during breaks and a social event following the session.

The Industry Chairs have organized an engagement event to provide an opportunity to continue important conversations and to network with industry representatives. The goal of this event is to bring together the participants from both the Space Optics Industry and the Silicon Photonics Manufacturing panels to discuss the state of the industry, with an emphasis on needs and challenges.

Following a brief introduction from the Industry Chairs, the panelists will join round table discussions with attendees to discuss and identify critical needs for their respective industries. Space and AI, the focus of the industry events, are at turning points in their evolution. Other industries such as Quantum, Energy, Robotics and AR/VR, face similar circumstances.

Questions to be discussed during the round table discussions include:

• What are the greatest challenges for scaling manufacturing?
• Is there a sufficient workforce to support growth? What specific education and workforce development do you foresee?
• Are you concerned with the energy supply?
• What impact are global policies having on your supply chains?
• Is there sufficient R&D funding to advance your industry?
• Does your industry have sufficient standards to enable scaling? If not, why?

Refreshments will be provided during this engagement event and we strongly encourage all participants to use this opportunity to network with our distinguished industry guests.