Photonics 2026 brings together industry professionals
The 20th anniversary edition of the International Exhibition for Laser, Optical and Optoelectronic Technologies – Photonics 2026 – has opened in Timiryazev Centre, Moscow. The show is organised by EXPOCENTRE AO jointly with the Laser Association with the support of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade and under the auspices of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
This year, more than 160 companies from Russia, Armenia, Belarus, and China are taking part in the show on an area of 7,000 square metres. There are 105 Russian companies presenting their innovative developments.
Photonics presents laser technologies for processing materials (cutting, welding, labelling, additive manufacturing), optical elements, systems and materials, new machines for their manufacture, optoelectronics, sensors, detectors, and artificial vision equipment.
At the official opening ceremony, Denis Frantsuzov, Vice President at the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stressed that the events of the Photonics conference programme give a great opportunity not only to talk about the achievements of the industry, but also to exchange questions and problems, discuss the challenges, and at the same time, identify ways to interact with government authorities, partners, and business and industry associations.
Sergey Popov, Deputy General Director for R&D at Shvabe, the Head of the Priority Technology Area for Optoelectronics and Photonics, said that this is the 20th time his company participates in Photonics.
“Considering that the show is international, we once again have an opportunity to exchange opinions and see what various companies are famous for. These companies can be both well-known and small that are just entering the market,” said Sergey Popov,
Nikolay Evtikhiev, President at the Laser Association, noted that recently there had been a very rapid and serious leap from developments to their practical implementation in industry, science, medicine, etc.
“If you walk through the show, you can see that, unlike at previous shows, the number of pieces of equipment that is already used in production has significantly increased,” said Nikolay Evtikhiev.
Zhu Xiao, Honorary President at the Laser Association of Hubei Province (China), said that his company had been working closely with Russian colleagues and the Laser Association for the past two decades.
“We have achieved great success together. In particular, last year we completed work on a trilingual dictionary on photonics in Russian, English, and Chinese. Having a single standardized language in our industry is extremely important,” said Zhu Xiao.
Ivan Kovsh, Honorary President and Advisor to the Board at the Laser Association, reminded that the first Photonics was launched at EXPOCENTRE Fairgrounds in 2025.
“At that same time, we signed the first cooperation agreement with our Chinese colleagues. Since then, we have not only attended each other's events, but also exchanged ideas, created joint ventures and projects. I would like to congratulate everyone on the start of the 20th anniversary edition of the show and wish all of your every success,” continued Ivan Kovsh.
Maxim Fateev, General Director at EXPOCENTRE AO, thanked the Laser Association, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the assistance.
“Photonics is not only a show but also a rich conference programme. It offers 26 events, including the 14th Congress of the Photonics Technological Platform, the Job Fair, and many other very interesting events,” said Maxim Fateev.
Photonics 2026 will be open until 2 April.
Press Service, EXPOCENTRE AO