Photonics21: EU needs to invest more in photonics now to fight future infectious diseases and pandemics

Strong investment in photonics will help us fight infectious diseases that kill an unimaginable number of people and prepare us against future pandemics, says Dr Jürgen Popp of the Leibniz Center for Photonics in Infection Research (LPI) that is currently under construction in Jena.

• Light offers promising new solutions to tackle infectious diseases that kill millions of people every year
• Urgent action needed from EU and governments to invest in photonics technologies
• South Korea invests €2.8 Billion per year, China €1 billion – whereas entire EU investment is €100 million p.a.
• A proper investment will prepare us for next pandemic

By harnessing photonics – technologies that are based on light – we are producing solutions in fields as varied as next-generation farming, the environment, transport, industry and healthcare.