PhotonDelta Inspires Next Generation Photonics Professionals At ITSS-TSaT 2023
26 August 2023PhotonDelta recently sponsored the 32nd International Travelling Summer School (ITSS-TSaT) organized by Eindhoven Hendrik Casimir Institute (EHCI). The goal was to draw attention to a thriving ecosystem and inspire international students, researchers, and professors to join the photonics industry.
With backgrounds in scientific fields such as terahertz science, quantum computing, and photonics, more than 70 academics attended the event in Brainport Eindhoven – Europe’s most innovative technology region – between 9th and 14th July 2023. PhotonDelta’s sponsorship lowered the cost barrier, enabling more undergraduates and masters students to attend.


”A great restart of the International Travelling Summer School on microwaves and light waves after the pandemic. It seems that this summer school has revived the spirit of the last 30 years of these summer schools and provided for the students and lecturers a re-starting point for following events. The location and the program were superbly organised and assembled.”
Viktor Krozer, Professor of Terahertz Photonics, Goethe University, Frankfurt
Putting photonics on the academic agenda
As the main sponsor, PhotonDelta added a significant component of integrated photonics to this edition of the science and technology summer school. In the impressive surroundings of a former monastery – Fletcher Kloosterhotel Willibrordhaeghe in Deurne –participants enjoyed 5 days of lectures, knowledge sharing, and networking opportunities. The event also saw the introduction of the Professor John Sheridan Prize – honoring the late professor from University College Dublin who taught optical engineering to generations of undergraduates.
There were 75 attendees from 11 different countries, including 17 undergraduates and master’s students, 18 PhD students, 7 post doctorate students, and 22 professors – alongside representatives from the photonics industry. Representatives from PhotonDelta played an active role in the event, including delivering a guest lecture on integrated photonics, participating on the evaluation committee for student projects, and organising a scientific event at the High Tech Campus.
Alongside a role in the closing ceremony, PhotonDelta was highly visible from start to finish with a presence on banners, posters, presentations, and the event’s website.
PhotonDelta’s commitment to developing human capital
The photonics industry in the Netherlands anticipates exceptional growth in the next 6 years and beyond. The number of full-time positions across university research, research organisations, foundries, and start-ups looks set to expand from several hundred to a few thousand.
This is backed by public and private investment from the Nation Growth Fund, with €1.1 billion awarded to PhotonDelta to transform the Netherlands into the leader of next generation microchips.
The six-year program will enable PhotonDelta and its partners to invest in photonic startups and scale-ups, expand production and research facilities, attract and train talent, drive adoption, and develop a world-class design library.
By 2030, PhotonDelta aims to have created an ecosystem with hundreds of companies, serving customers worldwide and a wafer production capacity of 100,000+ per year.
That’s why PhotonDelta’s sponsorship of ITSS-TSaT 2023 is part of their wider human capital program designed to build awareness of the ecosystem and its partners, and highlight career opportunities in integrated photonics.
Since the PhotonDelta ecosystem matures rapidly, the Human Capital Program specifically aims to ‘attract and engage’ talent and professionals on various levels of education. Together with educational partners in the Netherlands as well as in a broader international field.
Here’s an overview of this year’s other human capital events so far:
- March – PhotonDelta and Luxisens jointly presented the photonics industry at the Eindhoven University of Technology careers fair.
- April – PhotonDelta, PHIX and LioniX International jointly participated in the biggest national careers fair in the Netherlands – Nationale Carrièrebeurs.
- April – PhotonDelta, SMART Photonics, Aircision and Astrape Networks represented the photonics industry to STEM undergraduates at Fontys Engineers Meet & Match.
- June – PhotonDelta partner EFFECT Photonics represented the ecosystem at the Dutch Technology Festival.
The impact of PhotonDelta at ITSS-TSaT 2023
A participant’s willingness to recommend an event to others is always a strong indicator of success. So we’re delighted that on average, this year’s participants scored their likelihood to recommend the science and technology summer school at 8.5. The median was 10. Overall, attendees were really positive about the program, the networking opportunities, the organization, and the location.

”The ITSS in all editions represents 32 years of development in science and technology, from microwaves and light waves in the first edition in 1991 to terahertz science and technology including quantum computing and photonics in 2023. I personally participated for the first time as a student in 2010, then as a lecturer in 2016, and now as a chair and organiser in 2023.”
Shihab Al-Daffaie, Assistant Professor for Terahertz Nanophotonics and Integration Technology (TNIT), Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)
After attending the summer school, participants are now fully aware of integrated photonics technology and its potential applications. They now know the Netherlands is heavily invested in the industry and offers a wide variety of careers within it.
Through sponsorship of the summer school, PhotonDelta has increased its visibility within the international science and technology community, and made strong inroads into a network of European academics with expertise that can help drive the industry forward.
Discover future opportunities in the photonics industry: