The APTly Speaking Podcast spotlights innovation and investment in photonics—or the generation, detection, and manipulation of light—in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
Advancing Photonics Technologies
New Jersey - Delaware - Pennsylvania
Advancing Photonics Technologies (APT) is a regional photonics collaboration of universities, community colleges, industry, government agencies, workforce development programs, startup development organizations, and technology accelerators.
Our vision is to capitalize on existing momentum in NJ-PA-DE to drive continuous photonics innovation and investment through use-inspired research, and supercharge the region with accessible, inclusive, and career-focused educational and workforce development that advances equitable economic prosperity.
Photonics, or the generation, detection, and manipulation of light, forms the cornerstone of countless modern technologies that we depend on every day. Photonics is to the 21st century what microelectronics was to the 20th century: it’s the light inside almost everything. Advances in communications, national security, medical devices, energy technologies, consumer electronics, advanced manufacturing and others depend on light-based technologies. Learn more about photonics and its applications HERE (Source: SPIE).
APT’s potential for high-impact outcomes is great. Photonics-based technologies are experiencing double-digit growth internationally and, within the U.S., is expected to reach $2.25 trillion by 2029.
The APT NSF Engine Development Award has already built momentum and impact, and APT is uniquely prepared to leverage the support from the Engines program to create a self-sustaining regional innovation ecosystem founded on photonics technologies. To create this ecosystem, our big goals are:
Drive continuous photonics innovation and enhance industry awareness among untapped talent, the community, end-user markets, and stakeholders to democratize economic opportunities.
Develop and implement best educational and workforce development practices that build equitable, accessible, and inclusive programs and opportunities that support the translation of use-inspired photonics research innovations, enabling inclusive regional economic prosperity.
Power regional connectedness enabling a culture of collaboration and interdependence that inspires accessible engagement, commercialization, and sustainable investment in photonics.
Achieve long-term sustainability by cultivating strategic investment of resources and stimulating technology synergy among key stakeholders.
Become a beacon of regional excellence that attracts talent, ideas, and investment in photonics as the premier photonics place-based ecosystem in use-inspired research and commercialization by incentivizing the best ideas from all.
Accelerate Innovation
Together we will accelerate research and innovation in health care, aerospace, manufacturing, clean technologies, telecommunications and more.
Drive Technology Translation
We will build a regional ecosystem to accelerate the transition of discoveries into applications for today and for the future.
Build Our Photonics Workforce
Our approach aims to increase the pipeline of industrial and academic participants in ways that emphasize broad societal benefit.
Our Region
Our region - spanning Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania - is home to leading research universities, vibrant community colleges, and a high concentration of optics/photonics-related companies, from multinational to startups.
The region hosts many incubators and accelerators as well as proximity to investment capital in neighboring New York City and Philadelphia, and support of local government agencies, people, companies, educational institutions, investors and public-private partnerships.
