Johannes Kunsch

Laser Components Germany GmbH, GERMANY

Jürgen Popp

Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena & Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technologies, GERMANY

AI-Driven Vibrational Photonics for Clinical Diagnostics and Personalized Optical Digital Twins

Infrared and Raman photonics are rapidly evolving from powerful analytical tools toward clinically deployable technologies for real-time, label-free diagnostics. This presentation highlights recent progress in translating vibrational spectroscopy into healthcare applications, with a focus on infection diagnostics and oncology. Examples include AI-supported analysis of biofluids for rapid infection assessment as well as fiber-based Raman approaches for intraoperative tissue characterization. A key enabler for clinical adoption is artificial intelligence, which allows robust interpretation of complex, high-dimensional spectroscopic data under real-world conditions. Building on these developments, the talk outlines a forward-looking vision: the Personalized Optical Digital Twin. By integrating longitudinal molecular fingerprints from Raman and infrared measurements with clinical and physiological data streams, including wearable technologies, such digital twins may enable predictive, preventive and personalized healthcare. This concept illustrates how photonics can contribute to a future of continuous, data-driven health management and scalable clinical decision support.

Hugo Thienpont

Vrije Uni Brussels, BELGIUM

Luis Felipe Carvalho

Universidade de Taubaté, BRAZIL

FTIR Spectroscopy in Healthcare: Molecular Insights for Clinical Decision Support

Healthcare increasingly benefits from analytical tools capable of providing rapid and reliable molecular information to support clinical decision-making. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy offers a powerful approach to probe biochemical fingerprints from complex biological samples, revealing molecular changes associated with physiological and pathological processes. In this talk, we present recent advances in the application of FTIR vibrational spectroscopy to challenges in medicine and dentistry. Our work explores the analysis of biofluids as a source of molecular information that can complement conventional laboratory tests and imaging methods. In addition, we discuss emerging fiber-optic–based sensing strategies that open possibilities for minimally invasive and potentially real-time biochemical assessment. Rather than replacing existing diagnostic approaches, FTIR spectroscopy can act as a complementary tool, adding molecular-level information that supports clinicians and healthcare professionals in more informed and timely decision making.

Marco Kienel

IRScope GmbH, GERMANY

Field-resolved Infrared Molecular Spectroscopy: Translating Cutting-edge Ultrafast Laser Science to Industry-grade Optical Instruments

Recent advances in ultrafast laser science have opened new ways for controlling light, and optically probing matter at unprecedented temporal and spectral precision. These developments enable direct access to the individual oscillations of the electromagnetic field of light with a degree of control close to the fundamental, quantum limit, offering transformative potential for applications in science, industry, and medicine. In this talk, key technological concepts and recent progress in infrared electric-field-resolved spectroscopy will be presented, with a focus on their relevance for real-world applications such as high-precision optical control and medical diagnostics. The challenges of translating fundamental insights into robust, user-friendly systems, which is addressed at the newly-founded company IRScope GmbH, will be discussed, alongside opportunities for scalable deployment beyond laboratory environments.

Borislav Hinkov

Silicon Austria Labs GmbH, AUSTRIA

Johannes Kunsch

Laser Components Germany GmbH, GERMANY

Werner Mäntele

Goethe University Frankfurt & DiaMonTech AG , GERMANY

Roadmap on IR Photonics for Medical Diagnostics and Therapy

Over the past decades, Infrared Photonics has moved towards fascinating biomedical research, on the threshold to be implemented in everyday medical applications. An overdue Roadmap-Paper signed by more than 80 co-authors across 19 countries presents examples of IR applications and technologies and identifies the bottlenecks, hurdles, chances, and risks of IR-based healthcare routines. This roadmap presents a vision of biomedical infrared research and encourages interdisciplinary dialogue and a common framework for collaboration. It has been the founding momentum for the InfraMed Allliance, a global initiative and platform founded by spectroscopists and device manufacturers united by a common goal: To bring infrared photonic advances into medical practice as rapidly as possible.

Jürgen Popp

Friedrich- Schiller-University Jena and Leibniz Inst. of Photonic Technologies, GERMANY

Photonics21 Roadmap 2030: Enabling Predictive, Preventive, and Personalized Healthcare

This talk introduces the biophotonics roadmap of the Strategic Innovation and Research Agenda (SRIA) of the European Technology Platform Photonics21 and its vision for transforming healthcare. Facing ageing populations, increasing disease burden, and rising costs, healthcare must shift from treating disease toward predicting, preventing, and managing it at an early stage. Photonics enables this transition by providing non-invasive access to the molecular state of the human body, allowing biological processes to be monitored across all stages of care—from wellness and early detection to diagnosis, therapy, and follow-up. The roadmap highlights key technological directions, including multimodal optical sensing, the integration of imaging and spectroscopy and AI-driven data analysis, as well as the need for miniaturised, scalable, and clinically robust systems. A central emerging concept is that of Personalised Optical Digital Twins, which combine continuous photonic measurements with data-driven models to enable real-time health monitoring and prediction. Together, these developments position biophotonics as a core enabling technology for predictive, preventive and personalized healthcare, with the potential to fundamentally reshape how health and disease are understood and managed.

Luis Felipe Carvalho

Universidade de Taubaté , BRAZIL

Maximilian Högner

IRScope GmbH, GERMANY

Werner Mäntele

Goethe University Frankfurt & DiaMonTech AG, GERMANY

Roadmap on IR Photonics for Medical Diagnostics & Therapy

Over the past decades, Infrared Photonics has moved towards fascinating biomedical research, on the threshold to be implemented in everyday medical applications. An overdue Roadmap-Paper signed by more than 80 co-authors across 19 countries presents examples of IR applications and technologies and identifies the bottlenecks, hurdles, chances, and risks of IR-based healthcare routines. This roadmap presents a vision of biomedical infrared research and encourages interdisciplinary dialogue and a common framework for collaboration. It has been the founding momentum for the InfraMed Allliance, a global initiative and platform founded by spectroscopists and device manufacturers united by a common goal: To bring infrared photonic advances into medical practice as rapidly as possible.

Jürgen Popp

Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena & Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technologies, GERMANY

Photonics21 Roadmap 2030: Enabling Predictive, Preventive, and Personalized Healthcare

This talk introduces the biophotonics roadmap of the Strategic Innovation and Research Agenda (SRIA) of the European Technology Platform Photonics21 and its vision for transforming healthcare. Facing ageing populations, increasing disease burden and rising costs, healthcare must shift from treating disease toward predicting, preventing and managing it at an early stage. Photonics enables this transition by providing non-invasive access to the molecular state of the human body, allowing biological processes to be monitored across all stages of care—from wellness and early detection to diagnosis, therapy and follow-up. The roadmap highlights key technological directions, including multimodal optical sensing, the integration of imaging and spectroscopy, and AI-driven data analysis, as well as the need for miniaturized, scalable, and clinically robust systems. A central emerging concept is that of Personalized Optical Digital Twins, which combine continuous photonic measurements with data-driven models to enable real-time health monitoring and prediction. Together, these developments position biophotonics as a core enabling technology for predictive, preventive and personalized healthcare, with the potential to fundamentally reshape how health and disease are understood and managed.

Jayshri Sabarinathan

Western University Ontario, CANADA

Lien Smeesters

Vrije Universiteit Brussel, BELGIUM

Photonics for Agrifood Roadmap: Towards a Sustainable and Healthier Planet

Photonics technologies play a crucial role in driving technological advancements within the agrifood industry, aiming to deliver a sustainable food and agriculture, and offering healthy, nutritious and safe food for all of us. Particularly, optical sensors and imaging systems, together with machine-learning processing and advanced lighting, play a pivotal role in monitoring crop and soil health with unprecedented precision, while safeguarding the food supply chain. This roadmap aims to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art photonics technologies benefitting agrifood applications, including a view on their current limitations, challenges and future potential, while addressing practical case studies. Future trends towards multimodal sensors and sensor fusion, artificial intelligence and digital twins, miniaturization and controlled farming are highlighted. The revolutionizing capabilities of the photonics technologies are indicated, inspiring future applications and developments and paving the way towards optimized resource utilization, increased crop yields, stopping land degradation and reduction of food waste.

Francesca Venturini

Zurich University of Applied Sciences & TOELT GmbH , SWITZERLAND

Pierre Didier

ETH Zurich, SWITZERLAND

Nonlinear lithium niobate photonic platforms for sensing from the near infrared to the mid infrared

Lithium niobate is a powerful integrated platform for classical and quantum photonic sensing because it combines strong second order nonlinearity, a pronounced Pockels effect and wide transparency. In the near infrared, we developed Pockels based interferometers for highly sensitive on chip detection with broad optical bandwidth. Extending this approach to the mid infrared, we demonstrated a broadband high speed electro optic Mach–Zehnder modulator with strong extinction, efficient operation, and clear potential for sensing in a spectral region rich in molecular fingerprints. We also use periodically poled lithium niobate for broad mid infrared difference frequency generation, highlighting its ability to support engineered nonlinear interactions and future frequency comb generation. Overall, this work positions lithium niobate as a unified platform for near and mid infrared sensing, linking nonlinear optics, electro optic control and integrated photonic engineering.

Ward Hendriks

Aluvia Photonics, NETHERLANDS

Photonic Integration in Aluminium Oxide: Material Capabilities and Demonstrations

Aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃) offers a distinct combination of broadband transparency, low optical loss, and compatibility with active dopants, bringing a materials innovation for integrated photonics beyond conventional platforms. In this talk, we focus on the material‑level properties of Al₂O₃ and how they translate into new and improved performance of photonic integrated circuit applications. Demonstrations span low‑loss passive photonics from the UV to IR and integrated light sources for a diverse range of applications.

Clement Fleury

Silicon Austria Labs, AUSTRIA

The AlN material platform for UV photonic applications and beyond

Thanks to its broad transparency window from UV to IR and its crystalline structure enabling electro-optics and non-linear optical applications, AlN has become the leading candidate for addressing the challenges of UV photonics. The applications that are targeted are UV spectroscopy, where pollutants such as PFAS have strong UV absorption, quantum and nonlinear applications. Two of the major approaches for quantum computing and sensing – namely neutral atoms and trapped ions – will benefit from a mature AlN photonic platform able to modulate in phase, amplitude and frequency with a GHz bandwidth. Ions and atom should also be targeted by precisely crafted grating couplers, for addressing and cooling. The talk will cover some early results on the topic and present the quantum pilot lines that will use aluminum nitride.

Killian Keller

Scale Lasers, SWITZERLAND

Scale Down to Light Up – Commercializing Vertically Emitting Quantum Cascade Lasers

SCALE Lasers is bringing the VCSEL revolution to the mid-infrared. By combining miniaturization with our unique surface-emitting laser architecture, we are democratizing high-end spectroscopy – transforming complex lab diagnostics into ubiquitous components of everyday life. In this talk, we introduce SCALE Lasers and our path to market.