SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, announced that applications are being accepted through September 15, 2022 for the 15th anniversary of its SPIE Prism Awards. The celebration will be held as part of the 2023 SPIE Photonics West that recognizes the growing range of innovation occurring in light-based technologies.
While semi-finalists will be announced online in November, the awards ceremony itself will be part of an elegant gala event on 1 February 2023, during SPIE Photonics West.
“The SPIE Prism Awards ceremony is one of the coolest events on the SPIE calendar,” said SPIE CEO Kent Rochford. “Looking back on our previous winners – and even all the finalists – is a terrific reminder of the breadth and impact the photonics industry has on our daily lives. From healthcare to self-driving cars, it’s amazing what light-based technologies can provide.”
The event serves as a gathering of engineers, scientists, students, and business professionals who advance light-based science and technology. The Society, founded in 1955, has a global constituency that engages through industry-leading conferences and exhibitions, as well as publications of conference proceedings, books, and journals in the SPIE Digital Library. Individuals are able to resource the Library for career-building opportunities.
Over the past five years, SPIE has contributed more than $22 million to the international optics community through advocacy and support that includes scholarships, educational resources, travel grants, endowed gifts, and public-policy development.
Last year’s Prism Award winners ranged from transportation, scientific lasers, sensing, biomedicine, and quantum technologies. Startups have done well in prior competitions such as Double Helix Optics, PhotoniCare, Luminar, and others. They stood next to industry giants like General Electric, IPG Photonics, Edmund Optics, and Leica.
To be eligible for the award competition, photonics or photonics-enabled products need to have been launched between 2022 SPIE Photonics West (22-27 January) through September 2022. If a product was launched prior to 2022, it may still be eligible based on its current market position and via contact with event leaders.
