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Charting the future for Europe

Nature Photonics volume 2, pages 125–127 (2008)Cite this article

Leading optics researchers gathered together on the Irish south coast to discuss the future direction of photonics in Europe. Their aim was to identify areas of long-term research that have potential strategic importance.

The report will stress the importance of long-term research goals. Although photonics has always been an area of science with very close links between basic research and industrial commercialization, there remains a need to nurture the free-thinking spirit that often underpins the birth of new ideas. With this in mind, a key conclusion was the importance of basic or 'curiosity-driven' research. The report points out the unpredictable nature of breakthroughs in science, highlighting a number of examples where an open mind or just good fortune has paid off: Bragg gratings in optical fibres, supercontinuum generation and polymer LEDs. To continue to encourage this liberated approach to research, the group suggested that perhaps a rethink in the models used for science funding might be required, reducing the reliance on milestones and deliverables that “stifle curiosity and handicap the imagination”. Chris Dainty from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and chairman of the meeting believes that the focus should be moved towards general recognition of 'excellence' and away from complicated scoring systems.

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  1. David Gevaux is at Nature Photonics, 4 Crinan Street, London N1 9XW, UK. d.gevaux@nature.com,

    David Gevaux

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Gevaux, D. Charting the future for Europe. Nature Photon 2, 125–127 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2008.07

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