The Czech Republic became the centre of European photonics for three days. From 24 to 26 March 2026, the Czech Optical Cluster organised the international PhotonQBoost Matching Mission in cooperation with the LASER-PRO project and with the support of the leading centres ELI ERIC and HiLASE. More than sixty experts from across Europe came to Prague and Dolní Břežany to explore new opportunities for collaboration in photonics, laser technologies, optical manufacturing, and quantum solutions.

The Czech Republic was chosen deliberately — it has a complete optical manufacturing value chain and hosts world-class laser centres, ELI Beamlines and HiLASE Centre. The combination of industrial tradition, excellent research, and an innovation ecosystem makes the Czech Republic an ideal place for building strong European partnerships.

The programme of the mission combined inspiring presentations with concrete demonstrations of industrial applications. Florian Gliksohn (ELI ERIC) presented ELI as a global research infrastructure open to industry, Martin Smrž and Tomáš Mocek from HiLASE demonstrated the practical use of high-power lasers, and Josef Lazar from the Czech Academy of Sciences provided an overview of European developments in quantum technologies. Pavel Dvořáček from Narran shared the success story of a Czech laser company, showing that even local innovations can have a global impact.

Participants visited ELI ERIC, HiLASE, Brain4Industry, and Narran – places where Czech technologies are created in real conditions.

Two pitching sessions also took place, featuring 39 companies that briefly presented their technologies, needs, and interest in partnerships.

The PhotonQBoost and LASER-PRO teams then led an ideation workshop, helping to define topics suitable for future European calls.

PhotonQBoost: connecting photonics, quantum technologies, and industry within Horizon Europe

The Matching Mission took place as part of the PhotonQBoost project funded by the Horizon Europe programme. Its goal is to accelerate cooperation between photonics, quantum technologies, and European industry through joint meetings, mentoring, technology matchmaking, and support for SMEs.

The Czech Optical Cluster is an active member of the PhotonQBoost consortium, and by organising this mission, it highlighted the importance of the Czech ecosystem in the European context. The Czech environment — combining a complete optical manufacturing chain, world-class laser centres, and a strong network of companies — provided participants with an ideal foundation for finding partners and preparing projects.

“Our mission is to connect people, not just institutions. PhotonQBoost and LASER-PRO have shown that when the right partners meet in one place, real collaboration emerges — and that is what drives European photonics forward,” says Petr Přikryl, manager of the Czech Optical Cluster.

The atmosphere of the mission was also enriched by an informal programme: a networking dinner allowed participants to deepen relationships and continue discussions beyond the official agenda. A themed evening walk through Prague was also very well received, naturally supporting informal exchange of experience and building personal connections.

LASER-PRO: a European Excellence Hub with Czech participation

The Matching Mission also strengthened the activities of the LASER-PRO Excellence Hub, which connects experts from the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Ukraine and supports excellence in laser technologies in the long term. The Czech Optical Cluster is also a member of the LASER-PRO consortium, allowing it to actively contribute to the development of European cooperation, knowledge sharing, and the strategic direction of innovation in the field of lasers.

The synergy of the PhotonQBoost and LASER-PRO projects enabled participants not only to gain technological inspiration but also access to partners, funding, and infrastructure necessary for preparing future European projects. The mission thus created a strong foundation for long-term international cooperation and further joint initiatives in the European photonics ecosystem.

Presentations from the PhotonQBoost Matching Mission in the Czech Republic by speakers who agreed to their publication are available for download here: Presentations for sharing

Shared with the permission of the cluster, source: https://www.optickyklastr.cz/photonqboost-matching-mission-privedla-do-ceska-evropske-lidry-fotoniky-cesky-opticky-klastr-propojuje-vyzkum-s-prumyslem/ 

Photo: Marie Thunová (HiLASE)