LASER World of PHOTONICS 2019， the worlds leading trade fair for photonics， took place in Munich from June 24 to 27. Top-level topics such as electromobility and sustainability were as much the focus of the trade fair as new methods in medicine， which are made possible by modern biophotonics. The parallel World of Photonics Congress was once again a meeting place for the international science elite with lectures by Nobel Prize winner Gérard Mourou， gravitational physicist Carsten Danzmann， quantum physicist Anton Zeilinger and other renowned scientists.

Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer， Deputy CEO of Messe München summarized：“It was an impressive LASER World of PHOTONICS. A total of 1，325 exhibitors （2017： 1，293）， a new record， from 40 countries demonstrated the diversity and importance of photonics from the automotive industry to biophotonics and all the way to the possibilities that lasers provide for global sustainability and climate protection.”

Katja Stolle， Exhibition Director of LASER World of PHOTONICS， added： “We were also able to achieve a new record among visitors. Approximately 34，000 visitors （2017： 32，700） came to the fair， 60 percent of them from abroad. The number of visitors from the USA and Asia has especially increased.”

A complete overview of the photonics market

Visitors were able to experience all the innovations and trends of the industry live at the LASER World of PHOTONICS. The latest lasers and laser systems for production in the exhibition area were complemented by live demos with blue light as part of the special exhibition Photons in Production. Visitors were able to take part in the expert-guided tours for very individual questions. The application panels， a practice-oriented lecture series at the World of Photonics Congress， gave deep insights into topics such as biophotonics as well as imaging and sensor technology； visitors were able to see the concrete products and solutions in the respective exhibition areas.

Lots on the agenda for photonics of the next generation and founders

From the QR code rally to the Makeathon as well as from the start-up joint pavilion to the European Photonics Venture Forum （EPVF）， the LASER World of PHOTONICS provided numerous program items for young photonics enthusiasts and company founders.

Successful premiere for Innovation Award

The first Innovation Award was presented in five categories at the LASER World of PHOTONICS. The jury consisting of top-rate industry and science experts selected the most innovative products and solutions， and an overall winner was awarded. Martin Hermatschweiler， Managing Director of the overall winner Nanoscribe， is enthusiastic about the Innovation Award： “After a very intensive technical development phase， this is a great distinction for our team and for the outstanding performance of our new maskless lithography system Quantum X. We are particularly pleased that we were able to convince the high-quality jury.”

Photonics scientists as guests in Munich

There was a get-together of the international science elite at Europes largest congress for photonics： Nobel prize-winner in physics Gérard Mourou， quantum physicist Anton Zeilinger， Herbert-Walther award winner Sir Peter Knight and silicone photonics expert Michal Lipson are just a few examples of the many experts at the World of Photonics Congress.

The congress provided an impressive 3，661 talks and poster presentations. The participants were able to obtain information and discuss all scientific trend topics of photonics at the seven conferences（first time there were so many） and at the application-oriented application panels， ranging from basic to applied research.

The next LASER World of PHOTONICS will be held from June 21 to 24， 2021， and the next World of Photonics Congress from June 20 to 24， 2021.