Photonics and Optoelectronics: Strengthening Europe’s Space Ambitions
Lidia Briquets shares insights from the DLR–TESAT workshop. The event gathered Europe’s photonics and optoelectronics community to strengthen collaboration in the space sector, highlighting new opportunities, cross-sector innovation, and the key role of SMEs in shaping the future of European space technologies.
The recent event organized by DLR and TESAT brought together a vibrant community of professionals working in photonics and optoelectronics for space applications. The main goal was to connect industry, research, and agencies to explore current developments and strengthen cooperation in the European space domain.
What stood out most was the strong sense of direction and motivation shared by the participants. New ideas, clearer common goals, and open discussions showed that this community is becoming stronger and more united. The event format also proved very effective in creating genuine exchange between participants, encouraging collaboration and the sharing of experiences.
It is increasingly clear that photonics has become a key enabling technology for the space industry — both for traditional missions and for the fast-growing New Space sector. Another positive trend is the growing overlap between different technological areas. Companies traditionally focused on semiconductors, photonic integrated circuits, or quantum technologies are now finding real opportunities for development in the space field. This cross-sector interaction is becoming stronger and more relevant every year, and it is helping to shape a more integrated European innovation landscape.
At the same time, the event highlighted some challenges that still need attention. One of them is the lack of synchrony and stable cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large system integrators or end users. Many innovative SMEs, even when they have technologies that could be very valuable for major space projects, hesitate to enter this market because of scalability issues. They often do not see a clear future return on the high investment required to adapt or qualify their solutions for the space sector. In other cases, the main obstacle is not technical but communicative. Some companies simply lack visibility or the right channels to reach large institutions or industry leaders, who are sometimes perceived as distant or difficult to approach.
From my perspective, one clear conclusion is that photonics and optoelectronics are becoming a strategic pillar for the future of space systems. This evolution is not only technological but also cultural: collaboration is growing stronger, and dialogue between sectors is more open and productive. Events like this one play a fundamental role in turning potential into real progress, helping connect the many elements that make up Europe’s innovation ecosystem.
For large integrators and institutions, it is essential to stay in close contact with companies, especially small and medium-sized ones. Building trust, understanding technological needs, and identifying realistic paths for cooperation are key steps toward faster innovation. For companies, the new challenge ahead is not only to scale up their technologies for larger markets but also to scale down — to adapt mature, profitable products so that they can meet the specific requirements of the space and defense sectors. This ability to translate successful technologies from one field to another will become increasingly valuable in the years to come.
In this context, technology meetings and initiatives focused on industrial applications continue to play a crucial role. They are the meeting point for the end users and integrators of photonics and the photonics companies, to exchange knowledge, present real solutions, discover new areas of cooperation and create sinergies towards the growth of the European Industry Upcoming gatherings such as the EPIC Technology Meeting on Photonics for Defense: Securing the Future at Exosens, and the EPIC Technology Meeting on Photonics for Space and New Space at AIP, reflect this same purpose. They are part of an ongoing effort to bring together experts from across Europe, creating the right conditions for innovation to grow through collaboration.
The discussions and insights shared at the DLR–TESAT event confirmed once again that Europe’s strength lies in its diversity — of expertise, technologies, and perspectives. By continuing to connect these different parts, the European photonics and optoelectronics community can accelerate its impact on the future of space systems. Collaboration remains the essential driver, not only for advancing technology but for ensuring Europe’s leadership in photonics and space innovation in the years ahead.
