Optional agenda:
7 June 2026, Sunday
19:00 – 22:00 Pre-event networking dinner at Genusswerkstatt (address: Breite Straße 1a, 14467 Potsdam)
8 June 2026, Monday
OPTIONAL:
08:45 Departure for the company visits – we will walk from the recommended hotel Holiday Inn – the niu Amity (address: Leipziger Str. 1/Block J, 14473 Potsdam) to The Great Refractor (~25 minutes walking)
09:00 – 10:30 Visit of The Great Refractor (address: Telegrafenberg 14473 Potsdam)
10:30 – 10:45 Bus transfer
11:00 – 12:30 Visit of The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (address: An der Sternwarte 16, 14482 Potsdam).
MAIN AGENDA:
12:30 – 13:45 Registration and lunch
13:45 – 14:00 Welcome Words by EPIC & Wolfram Rosenbach, Director of The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP)
14:00 – 14:30 Overall KEYNOTE: The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) – The Roots for Photonics for Space – Martin Roth, Professor (Germany)
14:30 – 16:00 SESSION 1: Innovation in Deep Space Observation
- KEYNOTE: German Aerospace Center (DLR) – Heike Rauer, Advisor on ESA matters for DLR (Germany)
- European Southern Observatory (ESO) – ESO’s Technology Development Programme – Samuel Leveque, Technology Development Programme Manager (Germany)
- Imagine Optic – Get the best from your Telescope with CIAO – Guillaume Dovillaire, CTO, Head of Adaptive Optics and Complex Systems (France)
- Horiba – William Renard, International Sales Engineer – Special Networks (France)
16:00 – 16:45 Networking Coffee Break
16:45 – 19:00 SESSION 2: Space Optical Communication
- KEYNOTE: TNO – From PICs to Space Optical Systems – A Dutch Perspective – Bart Boonacker, Senior Project Manager (The Netherlands)
- Fraunhofer HHI – With Photonic Telecom Technology into Space – Patrick Runge, Head of InP & RF Department (Germany)
- ODYSSEUS Space – Space to Ground Laser Communication as a Service – Nikolay Smolentsev, Senior Optical System Engineer (Luxembourg)
- Rivada Space Networks – Secure Satellited-Based Communications From Low Earth Orbit: New Prospects For Optical Data Transmission – Thomas Laurent, Director of Sales Government Business (DACH) (Germany)
- Toptica Eagleyard – From Harsh Loads to Ultra-High Precision: Qualifying Laser Modules for Spaceborne Atomic Clocks – Martin Mayer, Project Manager Space (Germany)
- Menlo Systems – Thomas Schrauder, Electronics System Engineer (Germany)
- LASEROPTIK – Dielectric Coatings for Space – Michael Tröbs, Technical Customer Advisor / Coating Designer (Germany)
- TOPTICA Projects – Laser Guide Stars for Mitigating Atmospheric Efects in Optical Astronomy – Frank Lison, Managing Director, CEO (Germany) – please find more information about the Guide Star Lasers here
19:30 – 22:30 Networking BBQ-Dinner at the meeting venue The Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (address: An der Sternwarte 16, 14482 Potsdam)
22:00 After Hours Talks
Welcome Words – Wolfram Rosenbach (AIP) & Claus Heitmann (TOPTICA)
AIP: A Hub of Innovation, Collaboration, & Photonics Excellence – Martin Roth (AIP)
EPIC & the Future of Photonics in Europe: Connecting Industry, Innovation, & Impact – Martin Roth, Jérémy Picot-Clément (EPIC)
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center & the LISA Mission: Advancing Space Science with Photonics from Berlin – Anthony Yu (former NASA Goddard Space Center)
TOPTICA Guide Star: Enabling Precision & Performance in Modern Photonics – Frank Lison (TOPTICA Projects)
22:45 LIVE: Guide Star Laser – more details here
23:30 Bus Transfer to the recommended Hotel.
9 June 2026, Tuesday
08:00 Bus Transfer from the recommended Hotel to the Meeting Venue
08:15 – 08:45 Welcome Coffee
08:45 – 10:00 SESSION 3: New Space – Situational Awareness
- KEYNOTE: Royal Danish Defence College – Space sustainability: the ground segment and spectrum management – Rico Behlke, Head of Innovation Management & Sustainability (Norway)
- DiGOS – Satellite & Space Debris Laser Ranging and Laser Momentum Transfer – Ricard Alegre Godoy, Systems Engineer (Germany)
- Orbital Lasers – Aditya Baraskar, Senior Scientist, Technology Development Division (Japan)
10:00 – 10:45 Networking Coffee Break
10:45 – 12:30 SESSION 4: Earth Observation
- KEYNOTE: Fraunhofer IOF – Optical Instrumentation for Various Earth Observation Missions and Beyond – Stephanie Hesse-Ertelt, Research Manager (Germany)
- Exail – Flight proven photonic components for challenging space missions – David Dupuy, Photonic Sales Manager (France)
- Lockheed Martin – Earth-observing Photonic Integrated Circuit Science Instrumentation – Mate Adamkovics, Principal Research Scientist / Fellow (The United States)
- University of Cologne – Angle-Stable Spectral Filters – Ahmed Abdelmagid, Scientist (Germany)
- Materion Balzers Optics – Latest Developments of Filter Solutions for Multi- and Hyperspectral Earth Observation – Ellen Kwas, Project Manager (Germany)
- HySpex – HySpex Scalability of Hyperspectral Imaging Earth Observation – Maximilian Brell, Technical Sales Engineer (Germany)
12:30 – 13:30 Networking Lunch
13:30 Bus Transfer for DLR Company Visit, Potsdam Train Station & Berlin Airport (BER)
14:45 – 16:15 Company Visit at Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) (address: Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin)
16:15 End of the Technology Meeting & Bus Transfer to Berlin Airport (BER)
