The Future of Photonics - Materials Matter

Executive networking conference for leaders shaping integrated photonics, materials, and deployment at scale – hosted by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

Type of Event

In-Person

Our Participation

Owner

16 Apr 2026 - 17 Apr 2026

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany Conf. Center

Frankfurter Str. 250

Darmstadt, Germany 64293

About the conference

Join us for the inaugural conference hosted by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, focusing on Silicon Photonics. With rising interest from key industry players, this is a prime opportunity to engage with leaders in integrated photonics, materials, and large-scale deployment. Over 2 days, participate in dynamic forums and networking sessions designed to foster collaboration, innovation and partnership with the company. Don`t miss your chance to connect and shape the future of photonics!

Application to Attend

Presenters

Global Foundries/ NewPhotonics/ IBM/ Siemens/ Polariton/ Polaris/ NVIDIA/ Trumpf/ EVG/ LightCounting/ EMD Electronics/ STMicroelectronics/ Schott/ Coherent/ Heraeus/ TowerSemiconductor/ DustPhotonics, …

Andrea Kronawitter
BD Manager at EV Group (EVG)
LinkedIn
Arno Nennemann
Vice President of New Venture at SCHOTT AG
LinkedIn
Bert Offrein
Principal Research Scientist / Professor
LinkedIn
Ulf Quentin
Sales Director for Pulsed Lasers

Chia-Ju (Joyce) Yu
Head of Marketing Semiconductor
Claudia Hoessbacher
CEO of Polariton
LinkedIn
Damien Tuleu
EVP Electronics - Optronics
LinkedIn
Elad Mentovich
Nvidia

Gregory Maurel
Marketing Manager for RF and Optical Communication
LinkedIn
Rob Murano
Sr Director Product Development & Commercialization
LinkedIn
Roel Baets
Emeritus Prof. at Ghent University & imec
LinkedIn
Yakov Roizin
Chief Scientist and Fellow at Tower Semiconductor
LinkedIn

Ronnen Lovinger
CEO of DustPhotonics
Roy Rubenstein
Consultant at LightCounting
Yaniv Ben-Haim
CEO and Co-Founder
LinkedIn

Jean-Baptiste Laloë
Director of Tech. & Strategic Partnerships in the Silicon Photonics
LinkedIn
Morten Nissov
CEO at Polaris Electro-Optics
LinkedIn
Thomas Heurung
Technical Director
LinkedIn

Tomas Bäcklund
Director Integrated Photonics
LinkedIn
Michael Geiselmann
Co-Founder and CCO
LinkedIn
Kimin Jun
Master and Vice President of Technology at Samsung Electronics

Topics & Exploration Area

• How will integrated Photonics reshape computing and the industry landscape?
• What will be required - and what role will advanced material solutions play?
• How can Europe position itself successfully in this transition?

High-speed optical interconnects
Photonic/Electronic integration
Advanced modulators and materials
Metrology & Inspection
Packaging
Real-world deployments in data centers and telecom

Conference Format

Knowledge and insights: Keynotes, roundtables and expert presentations with cutting-edge content on trends, technologies, and challenges.
Networking opportunities: meaningful connections with peers and pathways for collaboration.
Visibility and recognition: platforms to present your work plus press coverage to extend your reach.
Fun and engagement: a relaxed networking dinner and interactive experiences that make the event enjoyable and memorable.

Agenda

Day 1
From	To	What	Who
08:30	11:00	Site Tour & Registration
11:00	11:15	Opening Remarks	Benjamin Hein - CEO of the Electronics business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
11:15	11:45	The Materials Dilemma in Integrated Photonics	Roel Baets - Emeritus Prof. at Ghent University & imec
11:45	12:05	Opportunities for Integrating Photonics deep into Computing Systems	Bert Offrein - Principal Research Scientist / Professor at IBM Research Europe
12:05	13:05	Lunch
13:05	13:35	CPO Material Breakthroughs	Elad Mentovich - Sr. Principle Engineer at Nvidia
13:35	13:55	Heterogeneous Integration of Silicon Photonics and III–V Lasers for Optical Signal Processing PICs	Yaniv Ben-Haim - CEO and Co-Founder of NewPhotonics
13:55	14:15	Integrated Photonics Design: Streamlining the Path to PIC Innovation	Thomas Heurung - Technical Director at Siemens EDA
14:15	14:35	Silicon Photonics – Revolutionizing Optical Connectivity	Ronnen Lovinger - CEO of DustPhotonics
14:35	15:35	Networking Event
15:35	16:05	Accelerating the Transition to Optics	Jean‑Baptiste Laloë - Director of Technology & Strategic Partnerships at Global Foundries
16:05	16:25	Liquid Crystal Photonics: Enabling Next Gen Silicon Photonics	Morten Nissov - CEO of Polaris Electro-Optics
16:25	16:45	Material Frontiers in Photonic Integration: Unlocking the Potential of Silicon, Organics, and Metals	Claudia Hoessbacher - CEO of Polariton
16:45	17:15	Coffee Break
17:15	17:35	New modulator Material Development for Silicon Photonics	Tomas Bäcklund - Director Integrated Photonics at the Electronics business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
17:35	17:55	Advanced Materials in Silicon Photonics Foundry	Yakov Roizin - Chief Scientist and Fellow of Tower Semiconductor
17:55	18:25	Panel Discussion
18:25	18:35	Closing Remarks	Mark Goebel - CTO-Fellow at the Electronics business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
19:05	22:05	Networking Dinner (Mathildenhöhe)

Day 2
From	To	What	Who
09:00	09:15	Opening Remarks	Dieter Schroth - Senior Director Transformation at the Electronics business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
09:15	10:00	Modulator Technologies: A Market Perspective	Roy Rubenstein - Consultant at LightCounting
10:00	10:30	Coffee Break
10:30	11:00	Enabling Cloud Optical Interconnects for AI Datacenters Through High‑Volume Production	Gregory Maurel - Marketing Manager for the RF and Optical Communication at STMicroelectronics
11:00	11:20	Low loss Photonic Integrated Circuits through Heterogeneous Integration	Michael Geiselmann - Co-Founder & CCO of Ligentec
11:20	11:40	Co-Packaged Optics and Use of Nanoimprint and Inkjet	Sajid Qadir - Technology Scout at SUSS MicroTec SE
11:40	12:00	Technical and Optical Glasses for Future Photonic Applications	Arno Nennemann - Vice President of New Venture at SCHOTT AG
12:00	12:30	Panel Discussion
12:30	13:30	Lunch
13:30	13:50	Package and Material Challenges of Optical Engine Integration	Kimin Jun - Master and Vice President of Technology at Samsung Electronics
13:50	14:10	Enabling Scalable Photonic Packaging using Nanoimprint Lithography	Andrea Kronawitter - Business Development Manager at EV Group (EVG)
14:10	14:30	Materials-Driven Interconnection for Advanced Packaging and Photonic Transceivers	Chia-Ju (Joyce) Yu - Head of Marketing Semiconductor at Heraeus
14:30	14:50	Laser Processes for Through-Glass and Through-Silicon Vias	Ulf Quentin - Sales Director for Pulsed Lasers at TRUMPF
14:50	15:20	Coffee Break
15:20	15:50	Advanced Thermal Management Materials Enable AI	Rob Murano - Sr. Director of Product Development and Commercialization at Coherent
15:50	16:05	Closing Remarks	Damien Tuleu - EVP Optronics at the Electronics business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
16:05		End

The event is supported by EPIC

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