The Academy of Finland Flagship Programme promotes excellent research and versatile impact arising therefrom. The flagship on Photonics Research and Innovation (PREIN) focuses on light-based technologies and their applications. Photonics and light-based technologies play a central role in all areas of modern life, including in telecommunications, biomedicine, health care, energy and environment, manufacturing, and consumer products. Photonics is an essential key-enabling technology involved in nearly every facet of a sustainable future, at the heart of solar energy, used in biodiesel production, for water purification, wind energy production, energy-efficient lighting, sustainable farming and forestry, and many more applications.
The Flagship for Photonics Research and Innovation (PREIN) is coordinated by Tampere University. The other partners are Aalto University, University of Eastern Finland and VTT.
Background
The flagship programme duration is eight years from 2019 to 2027. The funding is divided into two four-year periods, with a mid-term evaluation in 2022. During 2019−2022 the Academy of Finland funding for the entire programme amounts to 54.5 million euros while the host organizations of the different flagships including universities and research institutes will inject their own funds into the flagships for a total of 320 million euros.
Goal
The rationale of PREIN is to merge the leading-edge Finnish activities in photonics through the whole innovation value chain. Its four partners share the vision that future breakthroughs in photonics depend on deep understanding of light-matter interactions, materials and nanostructures with tailored response, advanced laser sources, and photonic integration.
Through rapid transfer of advances in these fields to potential applications, PREIN aims at producing disruptive innovations for a variety of application areas and markets, including portable and disposable sensors, ultra-precise LIDAR systems, and smart photovoltaic modules. PREIN will benefit to ICT, environmental and industrial monitoring and quantum technologies. Based on world-class research and commercialization experience, PREIN will leverage the full potential of joint work between its partners to significantly support the growth of the Finnish photonics ecosystem.
Through outreach activities, PREIN will advertise to the Finnish industry the opportunities provided by photonics for their business and together with LUMA-centers reach out to school children to inspire them in light-based technologies.
Funding source
Academy of Finland
Contact persons
Goëry Genty
Professor, Head of the project
goery.genty [at] tuni.fi
+358 50 346 3069
Tea Vellamo
Administrative coordinator
tea.vellamo [at] tuni.fi
+358 50 583 0447
Hanna Kivisaari
Financial coordinator
hanna.kivisaari [at] tuni.fi
+358 40 849 0104