IMS CHIPS at SPIE Photonics West 2026

From January 17 to 22, 2026, Prof. Dr. Niels Quack, Director of IMS CHIPS, participated in SPIE Photonics West 2026 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco—one of the world’s most important conferences for optics and photonics. In addition to attending, he actively contributed to shaping the conference in his role as a Program Committee Member.

With more than 23,000 registered attendees, around 1,600 exhibitors, and over 4,200 scientific contributions, Photonics West once again provided a unique platform for exchange between research, industry, and technology development. The conference covered six thematic focus areas, including BiOS, LASE, OPTO, Quantum West, Vision Tech, and AR | VR | MR, reflecting the full spectrum of current photonics research.

A special personal highlight for Niels Quack was the reunion at the Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center (BSAC). Founded in 1986 as an NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center, BSAC is internationally recognized as a pioneer in microsensors, microactuators, and MEMS technologies. Between 2011 and 2015, Prof. Dr. Niels Quack worked there as a Postdoctoral and Visiting Researcher at the Integrated Photonics Laboratory and at BSAC at the University of California, Berkeley.

Reuniting with long-standing colleagues and meeting new contacts once again highlighted the importance of long-term scientific networks—as a foundation for trust, innovation, and future collaboration.

He returned from San Francisco with valuable impressions, fresh impulses, and strengthened international connections.