Directorate Message

On behalf of the Directorate, a very warm welcome to the website for The Photonics Institute (TPI).

The 21st century indeed belongs to photonics, an enabling technology with applications that span many industrial sectors - communications, manufacturing, sensing, lighting, health care and life sciences, space, energy, defence and automotive. Harnessing light will be the key to life-changing technological solutions in several key areas of Industry 4.0 - Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, robotics, 3D printing and advanced additive manufacturing, Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous systems and mobility, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), personalised medicine and healthcare, cyber security, renewable energy and environmental sustainability. 

Today, the photonics industry employs millions of people worldwide. According to a recent Photonics Industry Report, the photonics market is expected to reach US$930 billion by 2023. The market is shifting towards Asia and it is imperative that Singapore be a key player in this market opportunity. As such, establishing a world-leading photonics institute in Singapore is a prerequisite for this vision.

Our partnership with the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton, UK, is the very key to developing and strengthening the capabilities of our institute at NTU. Renowned for its expertise in fibre technology and the understanding of photonics and its practical applications, the ORC is led by Professor Sir David Payne, who is also a member of the TPI Directorate. As such, there will be many opportunities for working closely together to achieve the transfer of scientific and technological knowledge, breakthroughs and industrial innovations between Singapore and the United Kingdom.

We envision that The Photonics Institute will make a substantial impact on Singapore and firmly put it on the map as a leading R&D nation spearheading the development of photonics technologies, fostering the growth of internationally competitive industries and a photonics ecosystem in the country. We expect our R&D programmes to impact on energy independence, environment, safety and thus the overall quality of life in Singapore through a wider adoption of “green” photonics technologies. We also see the institute as a centre for creating a national cohort of entrepreneurial photonics professionals.

Indeed, these are exciting times ahead and I have every confidence that TPI will become one of the top photonics institute in the world, helping to tackle technological challenges of the future.

We invite you to embark on this journey with us.

Best wishes,

Professor Tjin Swee Chuan

Co-Director of TPI