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SPARKLE - Training Europe's Future Photonics Research Leaders

Project description

Fellowships lighting the future of photonics research

The physical science of light generation, detection and manipulation, photonics, is everywhere. Your phone, computer and TV and all technology used daily is made possible largely by photonics. As one of the most quickly developing and promising fields of industry in Europe, there is a growing skills shortage and a need for more experienced researchers. The EU-funded SPARKLE project will address this urgent need by offering 27 experienced researchers a two-year innovative intersectoral fellowship each. The aim is to enable them to obtain excellent skills and develop a career in photonics research and manufacturing. The project’s goal is to prepare future leaders for the industry to guarantee Europe’s leading position in the global field of photonics.

Objective

Photonics impacts our everyday lives, from the screens that drive our mobile phones, to the fibre optic based communications network that underpins the modern internet, to light based diagnostics systems that identify diseases. It also represents an enormous worldwide sector that is growing twice as fast as the global GDP and expected to reach €615 billion in 2020. Europe is at the heart of this industry with a market that has grown by over 62% over the last 10 years, investing about €10 billion per year in innovation through its 5,000 photonics companies that directly employ over 300,000 with a global market share of 15.5%, second only to China.

SPARKLE is an innovative photonics focused intersectoral training, career development and mobility fellowship programme that will be open to experienced researchers of any nationality, resident anywhere in the world, seeking a prestigious career development path in the field of photonics research and innovation. These future leaders with combined skills in scientific excellence, product develop and manufacturing, will be equipped to compete at the highest levels and will ensure that Europe secures a significant proportion of the projected 10,000 new jobs per year that will be created by the photonics industry. The SPARKLE programme will offer 27 two-year fellowships.

Objectives:
1. An advanced training programme in a cutting-edge research environment to train the future cohort of world leaders in the field of photonics, highly employable both in academia and industry.
2. Strengthen and raise the excellence and impact of Europe’s photonics research and manufacturing activities, and ensure that Europe continues to compete with the US and China through the transition of leading edge science into market leading products.
3. Address the expanding skills shortage in the field of photonics across Europe, specifically at experienced researcher level.

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

MSCA-COFUND - Co-funding of regional, national and international programmes (COFUND)

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-COFUND-2018

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK - NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK
Net EU contribution
€ 1 986 120,00
Address
WESTERN ROAD
T12 YN60 Cork
Ireland
Region
Ireland Southern South-West
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
€ 3 972 240,00