Germany holds a good position in the lighting technology field of photonics. "We have access to the market and are leaders in technology," explains Prof. Andreas Tünnermann, head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering in Jena. 

Apart from this the global photonics market is clearly split. German companies have little room for manoeuvre, production is carried out in Asia. According to the Swiss management consultants Optech Consulting, in 2006 the market grew by 11% to just over EUR 250 bn.

Global market by sectors
By far the largest fields are flat panel displays (26%) and information technology (21%). These are followed by lighting, defence, medical technology and metrology, each accounting for 8%.  Growth rates in high performance LEDs are currently running at over 25%. Opto-electronic systems in the automotive industry have a clear head start with their many uses ranging from holograms on the windscreen to night vision and rear-view cameras.  They are also increasingly being used in freeform optics or presentation systems. "German companies have developed competitive advantages in microstructure and nanostructure fields," explains Tünnermann. Many German companies are also working with commitment in semiconductor elements and components.

Lighting efficiency is growing
New types of projection system are being developed. "LEDs will supersede conventional halogen bulbs in just a few years," Tünnermann is sure. However, their efficiency is as yet very low. "Most of the light does not even come out unless you use suitable optics." These are used to concentrate the light.

Osram, one of the largest manufacturers of lightbulbs, has achieved these optics with the super-bright LED: a metal coating inside serves as a mirror for the internally-generated light and reflects it to the top of the chip where it is outcoupled.

In the meantime, the company is now using revolutionary thin film technology for all colours. The forthcoming projection systems using devices the size of mobile phones will "be equipped with German technology", says Tünnermann.
Lighting efficiency could even increase tenfold. In particular, a much more precise light level is achieved and thermal intensity is much lower.

Dual-layer mirror
"The interaction between the key components will be crucial," says Tünnermann of future developments. Light sources and optics are moving closer together. The expert in applied optics regards the development of a dual-layer mirror as a major step into the future. "Germany has the patent," says Tünnermann with high hopes.

If convergence between the three fields of semiconductors, light sources and optics succeeds, "then you can expect some surprises," stresses Tünnermann. In particular, lighting technology will benefit enormously. However, it will take "another five to six years", according to Tünnermann, until the products are ready to launch.
The photonics market is dominated by flat panel displays and information technology. In 2005, the global market was worth EUR 228 bn.