SPARKLE - Training Europe's Future Photonics Research Leaders

ended

Photonics impacts our everyday lives, from the screens that drive our mobile phones, to the fibre optic based communications network that underpins the modern internet, to light based diagnostics systems that identify diseases. It also represents an enormous worldwide sector that is growing twice as fast as the global GDP and expected to reach €615 billion in 2020. Europe is at the heart of this industry with a market that has grown by over 62% over the last 10 years, investing about €10 billion per year in innovation through its 5,000 photonics companies that directly employ over 300,000 with a global market share of 15.5%, second only to China. SPARKLE is an innovative photonics focused intersectoral training, career development and mobility fellowship programme that will be open to experienced researchers of any nationality, resident anywhere in the world, seeking a prestigious career development path in the field of photonics research and innovation. These future leaders with combined skills in scientific excellence, product develop and manufacturing, will be equipped to compete at the highest levels and will ensure that Europe secures a significant proportion of the projected 10,000 new jobs per year that will be created by the photonics industry. The SPARKLE programme will offer 27 two-year fellowships. Objectives: 1. An advanced training programme in a cutting-edge research environment to train the future cohort of world leaders in the field of photonics, highly employable both in academia and industry. 2. Strengthen and raise the excellence and impact of Europe’s photonics research and manufacturing activities, and ensure that Europe continues to compete with the US and China through the transition of leading edge science into market leading products. 3. Address the expanding skills shortage in the field of photonics across Europe, specifically at experienced researcher level.