This presentation gives you an overview of the EU FP7 ACTPHAST project, coordinated by the Brussels Photonics Team of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.

1. A unique “plug-and-play” innovation support model
connecting European companies to
the best in photonics research technology and expertise
tailored to specific business opportunities and need

2. Why innovate with photonics?
Photonics is a Key Enabling Technology with Enormous
Economic Potential
 Total Direct Photonics market globally ~ €350bn
 Even larger leverage effect along the value chain
 European Photonics market ~ €64bn
 Estimated annual growth rate 6,5%
 Estimated global market size in 2020 ~ €615bn
 Many market-leading industrial players in EU
 300,000 employees directly
 >5000 SMEs / >1000 research institutes
 Leading market shares of European companies
 Production technology
55%
 Optical components & systems
40%
 Measurement & automated vision
35%
 Medical technology & life sciences
30%

3. What are the market applications for
photonics innovation?
The EC identified 10 key application domains to support Europe in its
innovation endeavours with photonics as a key-enabling technology*
* Source:
Photonics 21 Strategic
Research Agenda 2010

4. Who is actively innovating in the
different specialisations across Europe?
Each application domain counts hundreds of entreprises all actively
in pursuit of product and business innovation. Most companies are
SMEs and are represented by regional clusters,
as illustrated in the examples below.....
e.g. Medical Technologies – EU Clusters
e.g. Communications – EU Clusters

5. Why is there a need to support
innovation?
If European companies want to
keep their market share,
continued product innovation
with photonics will be crucial ...
But SMEs and large-scale
companies often encounter
road-blocks in their
innovation efforts...

6. What are the major roadblocks to
innovation – especially for SMEs?
Human resources & expertise
in-house experts &
photonics expertise
are missing
supporting an
in-house R&D team
is too expensive
identifying external
experts is often a
shot in the dark
dedicated task forces for
photonics solutions are
almost non-existent
investment risk is too
high or financially
irresponsible
multi-stop technology
shopping fails; partial
solutions are often
incompatible
one-stop shop
technology supply
chains are almost
non-existent
Technology
in-house cutting-edge
photonics technology
is missing
Roadblock Removers

7. ACTPHAST has been specifically
designed to offer a large-scale solution
CREATE
one-stop shop
solutions provider
based on the best
technology
platforms
REMOVE
photonics innovation roadblocks
prioritize
product innovation
open
new markets
+
plug-and-play
task forces for
photonics innovation
composed of the best
EU experts
AND
SUPPORT
accelerate
the time-to-market
European SMEs and LSCs
grow
business
create
jobs

8. Who is ACTPHAST support aimed at?
ACTPHAST is designed to support two types of companies who need
photonics expertise and technologies to innovate their products and
to enhance their competitiveness
1.
Photonics Companies
Companies
whose core business
is the production of
photonic components and
photonic systems
2.
Photonics-enabled Companies
Companies that
enhance their products with the enabling power
of optics or photonics for application domains
such as Medical, Lighting, Defense,
Entertainment, Energy, Food, Transport, etc.
These companies can be SMEs or large-scale – with particular
focus on SMEs – who have a European identity

9. Who is ACTPHAST support aimed at?
ACTPHAST supports companies with product innovation at precompetitive level (i.e. from Technology Readiness Level (TRLs) 2 to 5)
- multiple projects are possible to faciliate progression and accelerated
time-to-market

10. What kind of support is available?
More than 200 top experts from 23 EU research institutes,
representing the best in European research, ready to help

11. What kind of support is available?
ACTPHAST partners represent 7 strategic technology
platforms, each a ready-made supply-chain for supporting
industry from design to prototype
Optical Modelling
and Photonic Design
free-space
optical systems
Optical Measurement
and Characterization
glass and polymer
specialty fibers
polymer optics
organic largearea photonics
Mastering and
Prototyping
Technologies
Strategic
photonics
technology
platforms
MOEMS
Ready-made
supply chain for
each platform
Demonstrators
and
Prototypes
Packaging
and
Integration
Si3Ni4-PICs
InP-PICs
Si-PICs
Low-Cost Low-Volume
Manufacturing

12. Who are the people managing and
co-ordinating the program?
Executive Board
Central Contact Point
Technical Co-ordination Team (TCT)

13. How are proposals for innovation
projects evaluated?
8 key eligibility and evaluation criteria are used to select
the best projects for support
European identity
& project objectives
in line with EC
pre-competitive
character of the request
quality of the
proposal including
consensus on IPR
innovative character
of the proposal
demonstrable capacity
of ACTPHAST
to accomplish the request
level of involvement
of the company
level of requested subsidy
commensurate with
the support
potential impact on
the company’s business

14. Fast Decision-Making on Proposals
The proposal is prepared by the ACTPHAST expert so there
is minimal paperwork for the company
QUALIFIED
EXPRESSION OF
INTEREST FROM
A COMPANY
EXPERT
APPOINTED
1 WEEK
CENTRAL CONTACT POINT
INFORMS THE TECHNICAL COORDINATION TEAM (TCT)
EXPERT
VISITS
2 WEEKS
PROPOSAL SUBMITTED
INCL. CONSENSUS ON IPR & OTHER
KEY CONTRACT TERMS BETWEEN THE
PROPOSED PARTIES TO THE PROJECT
2-4 WEEKS
PROPOSAL
GRANTED
2-4 WEEKS
CENTRAL CONTACT POINT
PROVIDES CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION THROUGHOUT
TO CHECK PROGRESS AGAINST MILESTONES

15. Fast Execution of Projects
Contract templates help to accelerate the process;
typically 0-3 months to sign the contract, and 6 months
to complete the project
PROPOSAL
GRANTED
0-12
WEEKS
PROGRESS
REPORT
8 WEEKS
SPECIFIC PROJECT
CONTRACT SIGNED
BETWEEN THE
PARTIES TO THE
PROJECT, I.E. THE
COMPANY AND
ONE OR MORE
RESEARCH INSTITUTES
INVOLVED
8 WEEKS
CENTRAL
CONTACT POINT
ENQUIRES
CONSENSUS
REPORT
8 WEEKS
CENTRAL
CONTACT POINT
ENQUIRES
PERIODIC IMPACT
MEASUREMENT AFTER
PROJECT COMPLETION,
E.G. REVENUE & JOBS
GROWTH IN
SUPPORTED COMPANIES

16. Example of a Typical Project
Company details
Company name
EVOSENS
Location
France
Company type
SME
Activity description
Designer and manufacturer of optical systems for the corporate
and government laboratories in the areas of industry, research,
environmental or medical.
Optical systems
Application field
Project information
Scope
Feasibility study on wafer-scale fabrication of
low cost tuneable liquid crystal lenses for
miniature cameras
Access unit
Prototyping, mastering, and replication
Packaging
Project leader
Prof. Dr. ir. Geert Van Steenberge (IMEC)
Start
Duration
Partners
March 2013
5,7 months
IMEC (Belgium), VTT (Finland)

17. Example of a Typical Project
Company details
Company name
Alba Photonics
Location
UK
Company type
SME
Activity description
Designer and manufacturer of high efficiency diffractive and microoptical elements for beam shaping and wavefront manipulation
needs.
Optical components
Application field
Project information
Scope
Development of a nanostructured micro-optical
component for fiber-based optical microprobe
for optical trapping.
Access unit
Prototyping, mastering, and replication
Project leader
Prof. Dr. Ryszard Buczynski (ITME)
Start
Duration
Partners
February 2013
5,3 months
ITME (Poland)

18. Summary of key benefits to industry
focus is on the company’s
innovation challenge
subsidy lowers company’s
innovation threshold;
100% subsidy for SMEs
50% subsidy for large companies
one-stop shop for
top experts and technology that best
suit the business challenge
low administration;
companies are seen as
customers of the programme
and most paperwork is done
centrally on their behalf
centralized contact point
for fast response
timely support;
typical project duration
of 6 months aimed at
faster time-to-market

19. How to start discussions?
Contact the Local ACTPHAST Outreach Co-ordinator for
your region to start discussions on applying for support
The ACTPHAST Outreach Network provides local contacts
across all EU regions who work directly with local
companies and the regional clusters to identify suitable
innovation projects
ACTPHAST
Central Outreach
Co-ordinator

20. Outreach Contact Details
Central Outreach Co-ordinator
VUB
Peter Doyle
Email
Phone
Local Regions Covered
pdoyle@b-phot.org
+32-479-794600
Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands,
Slovenia, Hungary
Local Outreach Co-ordinators
CNIT
Marco
Romagnoli
marco.romagnoli@cnit.it
+39-050-5492266
Italy, Croatia
CNRS
Raphaël Clerc
raphael.clerc@institutoptique.fr
+33-6-23419922
France
HHI
Torsten
Mehlhorn
torsten.mehlhorn@hhi.fraunhofer.de
+49-30-31002716
North Germany, Austria
ICCS
Dimitris
Apostolopoul
os
Sergi
apostold@mail.ntua.gr
+30 210 7722871
Greece, Malta, Romania, Bulgaria,
Cyprus
sergi.ferrando@icfo.eu
+34-93-5534188
Spain, Portugal
ICFO
Ferrando
KIT
Mathias
Heckele
mathias.heckele@kit.edu
+49 721 60 82 2512
South Germany, Switzerland
ORC
Tom Carr
t.j.carr@soton.ac.uk
+44-23-80599506
United Kingdom
Tyndall/
UCC
Patrick
Morrissey
patrick.morrissey@tyndall.ie
+353-21-4904083
Ireland / Northern Ireland
UEF
Jyrki Saarinen
jyrki.saarinen@uef.fi
+358-50-5954348
Finland, Sweden, Norway,
Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia
WUT
Marcin
Witkowski
m.witkowski@mchtr.pw.edu.pl
+48-22-2348394
Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia

21. How to access support?
E-mail the Central Contact Point
Ir. Nathalie Debaes
E-mail: ndebaes@actphast.eu
Peter Doyle
E-mail: pdoyle@actphast.eu
 Call for projects is open from mid-January 2014 with
up to 200 projects expected to be completed by 2017
 Register Your Interest now via the ACTPHAST
website www.actphast.eu and a member of the
ACTPHAST Outreach Team will contact you to discuss
your project

22. ACTPHAST is specifically designed to remove the major
innovation roadblocks for European companies, providing
support which is:
Low cost – 100% subsidy for SMEs
Low risk – we find the right experts for you
Low admin – we do the paperwork for you
Fast turnaround – we complete projects within 6-9 months
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