Photonics is the science and technology of generating, manipulating, and detecting photons, particularly in the visible and near-infrared spectrum. This field has applications in numerous sectors, including telecommunications, healthcare, manufacturing, and consumer electronics. As the demand for photonics technology continues to grow, so do the career opportunities available.
Careers in photonics offer diverse opportunities across various industries, including engineering, research, and technology, with roles such as photonics engineer, optical engineer, and laser scientist.
Facts
- Photonics is a £15 billion UK industry employing more than 76,700 people in the UK .
- Photonics employers seek skills in finance, HR, marketing sales, computing, chemistry & physics as well as all engineering disciplines.
- Scotland’s Photonics Sector is a £1.2 billion industry supporting more than 5,700 highly skilled jobs.
- Photonics will push biomedical science boundaries at all levels, from novel techniques for basic biology to ultra-sensitive detection methods for point-of-care applications. With its underpinning research strengths in photonics and life sciences, Scotland is becoming an international powerhouse in this area. Strong inter-disciplinary activities exist at Strathclyde, Glasgow, Edinburgh, St Andrews and Heriot-Watt.
Key websites
- Photonics Scotland
- What Is Photonics? ( + How to Start a Career in It) | Coursera
- My World of Work – Study Photonics
- My World of Work – Photonics careers
Reports
- Scotland’s Critical Technologies Supercluster Showcases Strength and Sets Ambitious Goal of £10bn in Revenue by 2035 at Holyrood Reception – Photonics Scotland
- New initiative launched to build £10bn ‘Critical Technologies Supercluster’ in Scotland – Photonics Scotland
- Photonics Scotland, a network of Technology Scotland – Scotland National Strategy for Economic Transformation: industry leadership groups and sector groups – evidence – gov.scot
Resources
