The 14th Congress of the Photonics Technological Platform

The conference programme of Photonics 2026 hosted a plenary meeting of the 14th Congress of the Photonics Technological Platform jointly with the Conference of the Laser Association for Elections to the Board of National Experts.

Nikolay Evtikhiev, President at the Laser Association, delivered a report on laser processing of materials in the industry: current opportunities and prospects. Yuri Kulchin, Vice President at the Russian Academy of Sciences, spoke about photonics for agriculture. Andrey Sokolov, Deputy Chair at the Dissertation Council of the Scientific and Production Corporation for Precision Instrument Engineering Systems, reported on lasers in space technology: experience, tasks, and prospects.

Nikolay Evtikhiev presented a detailed analysis of the state of the industry, emphasizing that photonics has become today’s key technology. The speaker spoke about the explosive growth of the global market: the laser market is expected to reach USD 32.08 billion by 2031, with an average annual growth rate of 6.96%. The main driver of the industry today is not the production of lasers themselves, but the creation of finished products and machine tools based on them.

The main focus of the report was on the economic feasibility and the need for an integrated approach to automation. Nikolay Evtikhiev gave examples of successful technology implementation in the oil and gas sector and transport engineering. He stressed that today it is important not just to produce lasers, but to create complete solutions aimed at the end user.

“The end user is always important. We can make any kind of lasers, but if there is no equipment, why does the industry need a laser? You need a machine that does something, then you need a laser. The main achievement of recent years is the development of a new industry – laser engineering," said Nikolay Evtikhiev.

After the plenary session, there was a conference of the Laser Association. It was attended by heads and representatives of different LAS member organisations, LAS honorary members, individual LAS members, members of the Councils (Bureaus) of republican and regional LAS centers, and members of the Secretariat of the Technological Platform on Innovative Laser, Optical and Optoelectronic Technologies – Photonics.

The central issues on the agenda are elections to the Board of National Experts of the CIS Countries on Lasers and Laser Technologies and summing up the results of the LAS competition for the best Russian development in the field of photonics.

As part of the three-day conference programme, the 14th Congress of the Photonics Technological Platform features numerous scientific and practical conferences dedicated to various aspects of photonics. The topics include laser macroprocessing of industrial materials, semiconductor photonics and nanophotonics, optical assemblies and components in photonics, photonics in agriculture and nature management, photonics in medicine and life sciences, metrology support for photonics, and many others.

Press Service, EXPOCENTRE AO