Industry calls for €2B photonics programme in future Horizon Europe

21 Oct 2025 | News

Bosch, Volkswagen and Nokia are among the companies backing a dedicated photonics initiative to make up ground with China

Photo credits: kenny001 / BigStock

European industrial heavyweights, ranging from the defence and automotive sectors to telecoms and healthcare, are calling for a €2 billion “standalone programme” for photonics in the next Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, as Europe’s technological leadership comes under threat.

Such a public programme would drive €6-8 billion in industrial co-investment, according to a joint statement signed by the likes of Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Bosch, Nokia Bell Labs and Diehl Defence.

Photonics is the science and technology of light. It underpins innovations from health, where it can help to detect diseases, to defence, where uses include sensing and laser weapons. It is also expected to contribute to…