From 5–7 November 2025, the city of Vilnius, Lithuania, hosted an important meeting of the LASER-PRO Excellence Hub consortium, which brings together partners from the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Ukraine to strengthen European ecosystems in laser technologies and photonics. The event was organized by the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC) and the Lithuanian Laser Association (LLA) and was held alongside the international conference Photonics Frontiers: Building Stronger Ecosystems Together.
The three-day programme included internal consortium sessions—evaluating progress and planning upcoming project milestones—as well as a public conference that brought together researchers, industry representatives, public authorities, and innovation stakeholders from several countries. Key topics included the benefits of cross-border cooperation, building strong photonics ecosystems, and enhancing the connection between research and industrial applications.
The Czech Optical Cluster took part in the conference within the Czech delegation, joined by other national partners such as the HiLASE Centre and ELI Beamlines. They presented the strengths of the Czech photonics community—especially its excellence in advanced laser technologies and their industrial applications. The delegation also engaged in discussions about future collaboration across research, education, and industry.
One of the highlights of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Czech Optical Cluster and the Lithuanian Laser Association, opening a new chapter of cooperation between Czech and Lithuanian photonics stakeholders. The memorandum aims to support structured knowledge exchange, joint projects, and a faster transfer of research results into practice.
This event underscores the role of the Czech Optical Cluster as an active player in international photonics initiatives, contributing to the advancement of European laser technologies on a global scale through partnership, innovation, and strategic networking.
