Photonics Academy 2019

The Photonics Academy is an annual event funded by the BMBF and takes place in alternating cities in Germany. This year's Photonics Academy was in Jena, and the focus was on the open innovation approach. The participants were selected Master students from all over Germany. They had the chance to find out what possibilities open innovation processes offer in the field of photonics. This included how innovative ideas are developed and implemented in photonic products. In an “Innovation Camp”, all participants were given the task of developing hardware and software-based solutions for a current practical issue. With team partners, they developed ideas and concepts, implemented them as prototypes and present them to an expert jury.

The one-week-program lasted from September 21 until September 27, 2019,  and included lectures on ho to implement a project successfully, or how to develop creative ideas and solutions using design thinking. All participants also got the necessary knowledge about rapid prototyping technologies (3D printing, laser cutting, microcontrollers).