SPIE 2021 Photonics West, Advanced Lithography, AR/VR/MR, and Other Early 2021 Events Go Virtual

The international optics and photonics society will use its digital-forum platform to organize first five meetings of 2021

BELLINGHAM, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SPIE Photonics West, which normally convenes in San Francisco, will be held as an interactive, virtual conference 6-11 March 2021. North America’s largest optics and photonics technology event – with its popular BiOS, LASE, and OPTO conferences – held by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, also includes two digital exhibitions and the industry-focused Quantum West. Registration for SPIE Photonics West will open 5 January.

In addition to SPIE Photonics West, the following SPIE 2021 conferences will also be held via the organization’s digital-forum platform: SPIE Advanced Lithography; SPIE Medical Imaging; SPIE AR/VR/MR; and SPIE Smart Structures + Nondestructive Evaluation.

“The SPIE Digital Forum platform was developed to help people share results and make connections during the pandemic, and we’ve continued to fine-tune our virtual platform and digital offerings throughout this year,” says SPIE CEO Kent Rochford. “We’ll be implementing the latest improvements during Photonics West and are excited to release them to our attendees, presenters, and exhibitors. These forums, as always, ensure the professional discussion, innovation sharing, and networking opportunities that the SPIE community values and relies on to advance its research, product development, and engineering collaborations.”

"It's been a challenging year for our entire community, and I know that I am not alone in my desire to meet in person to exchange ideas, research, technological advances, and new products," says 2020 SPIE President John Greivenkamp. "We are hopeful of being able to gather in person later in 2021. In the meantime, I invite you to join us online at one or more of these dynamic conferences and look forward to seeing you there."

Each year, SPIE Photonics West showcases the latest in applications, technologies, and discoveries in optics and photonics, with three major conference tracks: BiOS, highlighting new research in biophotonics, biomedical optics, and applications of medical imaging; LASE, with its focus on the laser industry and applications; and OPTO, showcasing optoelectronics, photonic materials, and related devices. In addition, the symposium is introducing a new conference, highlighting photonics research and technologies addressing COVID-19. Photonics West will also feature a Digital Marketplace with product demos showcasing the latest in optics and photonics technologies and opportunities to connect with the industry’s leading suppliers and companies.

The SPIE Digital Forums will offer a convenient, high-quality, and timely way for researchers, engineers, and government and industry leaders in the photonics community to share emerging research, new results, and technological advances with their peers. The SPIE online format makes presentations and discussion accessible during the Forum in whatever time zone is convenient for the participant and in any order. In addition, the Digital Forums will include networking opportunities, live plenary sessions, and special events. All conference presentations and manuscripts will be accessible after the conference via the SPIE Digital Library. Registration and pricing information is available on each event webpage.

About SPIE

SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science, engineering, and technology. The Society serves more than 258,000 constituents from 184 countries, offering conferences and their published proceedings, continuing education, books, journals, and the SPIE Digital Library. In 2020, SPIE provided over $5.8 million in community support including scholarships and awards, outreach and advocacy programs, travel grants, public policy, and educational resources. www.spie.org.