From 26 to 29 April, Laser World of Photonics attracted more than 15,000 trade fair visitors to Munich – around 80 per cent of the level of attendees of the pre-coronavirus 2019 event.
For the first time, the World of Quantum provided a stage for the international quantum community. It highlighted the central role photonics plays in areas such as medical technology, electromobility and industrial manufacturing.
More than 900 exhibitors from more than 30 countries ran a booth at the event (2019: 1,325 exhibitors from more than 40 countries), including 15 national and international joint stands. After Germany, the top ten exhibitor countries were the US, France, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Switzerland, China, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Canada, Finland and Japan.
‘Laser World of Photonics is alive and well again!’ said Dr Wilhelm Kaenders, chairman of the exhibitor board and CEO of Toptica Photonics. ‘After three years and having successfully found its way through various crises, the industry can once again show its full innovative capacity.’
The top 10 visiting countries from abroad included Switzerland, Italy, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Israel, France, US, Czech Republic, Austria, Netherlands and Spain.
The trade fair reflects an international growth market, according to Jörg Mayer, managing director of the industry association Spectaris: ‘There is immense growth potential for photonics. For the German photonics industry alone, experts in 2020 forecast average annual growth of more than six percent and total sales of almost 60 billion euros by 2025. I am confident that this target will be met, if not exceeded, despite the current global challenges.’
Held for the first time in its own hall, the World of Quantum is currently the world’s largest platform for connecting science, industry and users from the field of quantum technology, providing the latest information on current research findings and presenting initial sample applications of this future technology. IBM Quantum gave visitors a look inside its quantum computer using a model. And at the Qiskit Hackathon, organised in cooperation with partners IBM Quantum and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, teams of young talent were able to try out programming quantum computers.
Dr Walter Riess, manager Quantum Technology at IBM Research Europe, said: ‘The World of Quantum more than exceeded my expectations. I am already looking forward to next year.’
The trade show took place without the parallel conference, the Laser World of Photonics Congress, which will return next year in the usual format. The exhibition and conference will take place from 27 to 30 June 2023.
