On June 18, 2007, the four-day "LASER 2007. World of Photonics" trade show will begin in Munich, Germany. The photonics industry's international meeting will, however, commence one day earlier when the first conferences of the "World of Photonics Congress, 18th International Congress on Photonics in Europe" begin at the International Congress Center Munich (ICM). As the leading summit meeting for all ex-perts and users in the field of optical technologies in Europe, the congress will be presenting top research results in photonics and outstanding applications in industry and research from 17 - 22 June 2007.

The congress includes six conferences, which are being organized by the sector's leading scientific societies worldwide. The unique spectrum of topics ranges from foundational research for lasers, electro-optics and quantum electronics, biophotonics and optoelectronics to photonics in production, continues through optical metrology and image processing, and extends all the way to medical use of lasers. For the first time, the World of Photonics Congress is offering a series of "Industry Workshops".

An overview about the programme is provided by the lecture database where you can search for conferences, topics and keywords.

The CLEO/Europe-IQEC 2007 (European Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and International Quantum Electronics Conference) from 17 - 22 June offers the most comprehensive program within the World of Photonics Congress. This event, which is organized by the European Physical Society (EPS), the Optical Society of America (OSA) and the IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society (IEEE/LEOS) offers up-to-date reports on the latest insights coming from the foundational research that is being performed on the topics of lasers and optronics, electro-optics and quantum electronics. The contributions from Nobel laureate Prof. Theodor W. Hänsch and other top scientists of international renown in plenary sessions and technical lectures provide ample evidence of the extraordinary quality of this event.

The ECBO 2007 (European Conference on Biomedical Optics) will be held from 17 - 21 June at the ICM under the auspices of the SPIE Europe, the Optical Society of America (OSA) and the Research Group Biophotonics. The focal point of this conference will be on optical technologies in microscopy and imaging as well as in bio-photonics for applications in the life sciences.

The main focus for LIM 2007 Lasers in Manufacturing will be on industrial applica-tions. The lecture topics run the gamut from foundational research to development and continue onward to deployment in industry. For this purpose, the WLT (German Scientific Society for Laser Technology) will be gathering knowledgeable speakers with plenty of practical experience for the "Macro Machining Conference" and the "Micro Fabrication Conference." Here, from 18 - 22 June, delegates can expect to receive highly relevant technological details and reports on concrete application projects for manufacturing processes involving the use of optical technologies in the macro and micro dimensions.

Optical measurement technology for all areas of applications is the key word for the five-day SPIE Europe Optical Metrology event, where the speakers will be dealing with optical test and measurement technology - not only for use in industry, but also in restoration efforts and in archeology.

The European Optical Society (EOS) is holding its EOS Conference: Here, the focus will be on the "Trends in Optoelectronics" from 17 - 19 June, and on "Frontiers in Electronic Imaging" from 18 - 20 June. The program includes keynotes, technical lectures and panel discussions on such topics as lighting, displays, and biometrics. It will also be covering storage media, such as DVDs and Blue-Ray Discs, as well as 3D-imaging and sensors.

At the Medical Laser Applications conference organized by the DGLM (German Society for Laser Medicine), all eyes will be on the topic of medical treatments and therapies involving laser light. Lasers are being used, for example, in dentistry, dermatology and urology as well as in neurosurgery. Within the framework of this two-day conference (June 17th and 18th) internationally recognized doctors and scientists will report on the experience that they have gained with medical lasers, provide information on new areas of applications, and present new technological developments and further enhancements to existing technology. The conference will be accompanied by an exhibition with manufacturers of medical device technology.

The Industry Workshops that are debuting from 19 - 21 June place a clear emphasis on applications. These workshops, which will be providing information on current industrial applications, are designed as half-day user seminars for project engineers and production staff as well as for sales staff. Topics will include such subjects as "Process Assurance and Sensor Technology," "Micro Material Processing" or "Welding and Cutting with Innovative Solid-state Lasers with Excellent Beam Quality." The topics were established by Messe München in cooperation with the companies and institutes that belong to the program committee: the Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) of Aachen, FH2 GmbH, Toptica, BMW AG, Rofin Sinar Laser GmbH, Coherent Lambda Physik, TRUMPF Laser GmbH + Co. KG, Carl Zeiss AG, LINOS Photonics GmbH & Co. KG, and Schott AG

Those interested in attending can register for the conferences Congress via the official website for the World of Photonics.

Registration for one of the individual conferences simultaneously authorizes the delegate to attend the entire World of Photonics Congress including all parts of the program. Participation in the congress, including admission to LASER 2007. World of Photonics, costs between 240 euros (for one day) and 630 euros (all days, for non-members of the organizing societies). The Industry Workshops are an exception here. They can only except a limited number of participants, and must be booked separately.

Further information on LASER 2007. World of Photonics is available on the trade show's official website at www.world-of-photonics.net.