Event Reports

ICSO conference

The 15th International Conference on Space Optics (ICSO 2024) took place from 21-25 October 2024 in Antibes, France, bringing together experts from around the world to explore advancements in optical, optoelectronic, and photonic technologies for space applications. Co-organized by ESA and CNES, the conference provided a dynamic platform for exchanging knowledge on research, development, qualification, and flight experience of optical technologies used in space missions.

General Industry meeting BigScience.NL

General Industry meeting BigScience.NL    
14 October 2024 at the MECC in Maastricht

This general industry meeting at the MECC in Maastricht was focused on getting companies informed about the developments at the various Big Science organisations. Organised specifically in Maastricht to connect with companies in the region. We met quite a few new companies due to the effort of the local business developers spreading the news about this event in their network.

BSBF2024

The Big Science Business Forum 2024 edition took place in Trieste, Italy 1-4 October. Six industrial liaison officers from the BigScience.NL network travelled to Trieste with 18 companies representing the high-tech industry on the shared stand covering an area of 24 square meters in which each company had a panel showcasing their particular competences. 

SOFT 2024 Symposium

The Symposium on Fusion Technology (SOFT) 2024 in Dublin highlighted the Netherlands' contributions to fusion research, with active participation from Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (DIFFER), Eindhoven Institute for Renewable Energy Systems (EIRES), and industry partners. The event provided an excellent platform to showcase Dutch advancements, including the work at DIFFER on divertors and the Magnum-PSI facility.

DutchPhotonicsEvent 2024

DutchPhotonicsEvent 2024
Date and Location: 19 September 2024, De Haagse Hoogeschool, Den Haag.

Advancements in Photonics and Optics took centre stage at the Dutch Photonics Event. Everyone in optics and photonics enjoyed this intensive day, regardless of their field within photonics. The primary focus was on innovation, ensuring a comprehensive exploration of the latest developments. The keynote presentation set the stage: 'Putting light into practice: optical sensing technology for real-life applications'

Industry Space days

September 18th  and 19th, a number of BigScience.NL network members visited the Industry Space Days at the European Space Agency ESA/ESTEC. Jan Geralt bij de Vaate (SRON), Ramon Navarro (NOVA) and Robbelien Kooistra (NWO-I office) were able to attend sessions on current trends in the space sector. Through the extensive exhibition and B2B/one-on-one meetings, there was ample opportunity to explore potential collaborations with private parties and with the ESA.

EPIC Technology Meeting on Photonics for NewSpace – Optical communication

EPIC Technology Meeting on Photonics for NewSpace – Optical communication
When & Where: 16 & 17 September 2024, Noordwijk
 
Adjacent to the ESA Industry Space Days (ISD), EPIC (European Photonics Industry Consortium) organized a Technology Meeting on Photonics for NewSpace: Optical communication. This exclusive event focused on the forefront of NewSpace, with a dedicated emphasis on optical communication. The event started with a pre-event networking dinner, an excellent way to discuss matters in a relaxed environment. Several companies from The Netherlands were present: Bright Photonics, Demcon Focal, Lionix, Molenaar Optics, Single Quantum, Tiny Telescope and TNO. The event itself contains two sessions.

Holland HighTech Network event

Four of the running NGF projects were invited to report in a five-minute pitch about their status to the HighTech community. Rob van der Meer presented the Einstein Telescope challenges and calls. During the following two-hour network opportunity with food and drinks our ET-team had a continuous stream of company representatives with questions and suggestions and lively conversations, way after many of the other project representatives had left for home.

Business day of ET-NGF valorisation programme

The first business day of the Dutch valorisation programme ‘Einstein Telescope for business’ took place on 1 July 2024 in the MECC in Maastricht.

There was a diverse plenary programme with a crash course in gravity waves from Gideon Koekoek (Maastricht University and Nikhef), as well as a look behind the scenes of the first R&D project on vibration-free cooling technology, by Demcon Kryoz, Cooll and the University of Twente. During and after lunch there was an information market on the five ET-NGF calls on ET-R&D projects.