The aim of the call was to integrate science, research and economics to promote the implementation of R & D and innovation programs, projects or business consortia to develop new products, services, processes and new technologies in priority areas of S4. At the call, 9 projects, including the photonics project GOSTOP, was selected. The objective of the GOSTOP research program is to accelerate the development and construction of the concept of smart factories in Slovenia and to respond to the current needs of the Slovenian economy, where certain industrial companies are trying to introduce the concept of smart factories in their production.

Considering the Slovenian strategy for smart specialization as well as the development concept of smart factories, four fields have been identified in which Slovenia could achieve significant breakthroughs in the near future: technology leadership, tools, robotics and photonics. The program proposes the development of new products and technologies by small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as the development of the overall concept of the smart factory, which aims to introduce comprehensive and integrated systems to allow larger Slovenian companies to optimize their own production processes and develop new products with high added value.

The program, which will run for three and a half years, has joined a research group consisting of 13 companies and six research organizations, the majority of which are also members of the Slovenian national platform for photonics - Fotonika21. 

Are you a postgraduate student studying photonics with an idea for a new business?

Are you thinking of starting your own company?

Are you interested in innovation and entrepreneurship?

This is for you: Due to last year’s great success the 2^nd Entrepreneurial Boot Camp will be held from 14-16 September 2016 at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Young researchers from all over Europe are invited to attend this 3 day workshop at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria where they will develop valuable skills regarding innovation and entrepreneurship.

The boot camp is jointly organised by the Vienna University of Economics and Business and Photonics Austria in the framework of the European Project Photonics4All.We especially welcome students with a research field in Photonics or young start-ups.

The costs for the Boot Camp are covered by the European Project Photonics4All. Some funding for the accommodation will be available as well.

For more detail please visit: http://www.photonics-austria.at/projects/photonics4all/photonics-boot-camp-2016/

For your application send your CV and a letter outlining your interest in the boot camp to: ulrich.trog@joanneum.at

Over 400 participants attended the 6th annual Laser and Health Academy (LA&HA®) Symposium, which took place on May 20th at the beautiful resort of Lake Bled in Slovenia's Alpine region.

During the symposium 46 clinical experts from around the world gathered to present, share and discuss clinical experiences in the field of medical laser treatments. The lecture topics were grouped into parallel sessions according to LA&HA's three main research categories:

• Lasers in Aesthetics, Dermatology & Surgery

• Lasers in Dentistry

• Lasers in Gynecology

There were also plenty of opportunities for networking and socializing with lecturers and fellow participants. In the evening, all LA&HA guests were invited to attend a gala dinner party, hosted by Fotona, along the shore of the enchanting Lake Bled.

The Laser and Health Academy (LA&HA®) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of research, education and publishing in the field of laser medicine. LA&HA actively collaborates with industry, medical professionals and universities on projects aimed at the development and improvement of laser applications. Additionally, LA&HA serves as a platform for continuous education in the medical laser community with numerous professional workshops offered worldwide on a wide variety of medical laser topics.

More information about LA&HA’s activities can be found on the LA&HA website.

Call for speakers and topic proposals: Forest & Photonics workshop gathers together top photonics and bioeconomy experts - International conference for scientists and business developers at Koli National Park, Finland, in October 2016

Koli National Park in northeastern Finland will be the venue for Forest & Photonics workshop on October 26th and 27th, 2016. The international event will gather together researchers and business developers from the fields of photonics and bioeconomy.

We look forward to receiving your topic proposals, ideas and speaker suggestions. For proposals and further information, please contact:

Juha Purmonen
Development Manager, Joensuu Science Park
telephone: +358 50 354 3832
email: juha.purmonen@tiedepuisto.fi

Photonics is a field of science that concentrates on producing and manipulating light. It is used in applications such as virtual reality and machine vision. Bioeconomy uses renewable biomass such as wood for different applications. Most recent innovations have taken place in high added value products such as textiles and cosmetics. Together, photonics and bioeconomy can produce applications such as laser wood-cutting, remote sensing and measurement of natural resources, and intelligently optimized LED lighting for growing vegetables. “Photonics is a disruptive technology which fulfills its potential when combined with other fields. New applications are constantly discovered and growth projections are remarkable”, says Juha Purmonen, Development Manager of Joensuu Science Park and one of the event's organizers.

Forest & Photonics 2016 has four themed tracks:
• Digitalization of bioeconomy: how the internet of things, big data, remote sensing, etc., are used in bioeconomy
• Forestry machines: machine vision and other modern applications of photonics
• Mechanical and chemical processing of wood and other biomass
• Startups & open innovation

Forest & Photonics 2016 will be held at Sokos Hotel Koli, Yläkolintie 39, Koli National Park, Finland, on 26th and 27th of October, 2016. For more information: www.tiedepuisto.fi/fp2016

We are very excited to announce that the 6^th Annual Laser & Health Academy Symposium will be taking place on Friday, May 20^th,  2016 at the beautiful Alpine resort of Lake Bled, Slovenia. The Symposium is organized to exchange research and education among medical professionals in the field of laser medicine (with parallel Dental, Aesthetics & Gynecology tracks) with a focus on practical instructions and in-depth presentations by LA&HA clinical experts.

We look forward to seeing you this year in Bled!