The Global Photonics Community Converges in San Francisco as More Than 23,000 Register for Photonics West 2026

The largest annual optics and photonics event highlighted the industry’s best and brightest during a week full of innovation, networking, and research sharing

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, brought the global optics and photonics community to San Francisco, California, for another successful and enlivening Photonics West. With more than 23,000 registrants, the annual conference and exhibition connected attendees from 40 countries, showcasing the transnational and collaborative spirit of the interdisciplinary industry. The dynamic event ran from 17 to 22 January, with 4,200 technical presentations across 100 conferences, 4 stages of industry-focused panels and presentations, 49 courses, and approximately 1,600 exhibitors in the five expos: Photonics West, BiOS, Quantum West, AR | VR | MR, plus, in its inaugural year, Vision Tech.

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Attendees of the 2026 SPIE Photonics West fill the Moscone Center, where nearly 1,600 exhibitors showcased their products.

With an emphasis on the application of advanced vision technologies, the inclusion of Vision Tech Expo brought a new audience this year, and the complementary technical program highlighted how photonics inventions are enabling advancements in the manufacturing, automotive, life sciences, agriculture, and robotics sectors. Similarly, the AR | VR | MR and Quantum West expo and technical programs highlighted the role photonics is having on the next generation of technologies coming to market.

Providing economic data that added context and support to the positivity experienced on the show floors, SPIE also released its annual Optics and Global Industry Report during the SPIE Global Business Forum on 19 January. To an audience of photonics executives and leaders, the society reported that global annual revenue from production of optics and photonics core components in 2024 increased 10% from 2023, reaching $381 billion.

“Attending Photonics West every year is the best way to see and experience the size and interdisciplinary nature of our industry,” said Director of Technology Outreach, Amy Hanlon, who presented the report. “Coming here and walking the show floors, I’m always impressed by the number of people, the ingenuity of the companies, and the ever-evolving array of products they create to help address global challenges and move technology forward. You pair the experience this week with the data from the Global Industry Report, and it’s clear that optics and photonics are vital technologies enabling economic growth, solving real-world problems, and bringing innovations to market.”

Beyond the tradeshows and industry programs, SPIE Photonics West included over 25 plenary presentations showcasing the latest groundbreaking research from around the globe, as well as thousands of thought-provoking presentations from academia and industry covering every aspect of optics and photonics in the BiOS, LASE, OPTO, Quantum West, AR|VR|MR, and Vision Tech conferences. The most elegant event of the show, the Prism Awards, honored winners in nine categories, recognizing those leading the charge in innovative optics and photonics products. Perhaps with a glimpse into future Prism Award winners, the 16^th annual Startup Challenge gave seven finalists the chance to pitch their innovative, investment-ready optics and photonics technologies to a panel of six industry judges, with Coalesenz Inc. announced as the winner. For first-time and veteran attendees alike, Photonics West is the premier event for lasers, biomedical optics, optoelectronics, and technologies supporting biophotonic, quantum, and vision applications.

Steve Sokach, Director of Sales for SCHOTT North America said, “We’ve been involved [with Photonics West] from the beginning.” When asked what keeps SCHOTT coming back each year, Sokach replied, “These opportunities, seeing how the market has developed, seeing what’s new in the industry, seeing the evolution of products. Just the ability to network with so many customers at one time. Also to get a gauge as to what’s new and emerging, where we need to play.” He added, “This is great market intelligence for us. To give a simple indication, fifteen years ago there was no AR / VR hall, and now [SCHOTT] has a prominent display in the AR | VR | MR Exhibition because of some of the things we have learned by coming to exhibitions like [Photonics West].”

Brooke Nagle, Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications with Optikos, was attending Photonics West for the first time. “Everyone has been incredibly welcoming, and everything is very well-labeled, which I appreciate.” When asked about the connections she has made during her time exhibiting, she said, “There are so many people walking around, simply being curious, and I think the curiosity is something that sets this show apart. [Photonics West] feels like less of a sales push and more of a conversation.”

“We always leave [Photonics West] with focus and new ideas,” Stacie Foster, Marketing Manager with TOPTICA Photonics and many-year attendee of the show. “SPIE does it the best.”

"One of the most inspiring elements of Photonics West is seeing thousands of optics and photonics professionals of all levels engaging, connecting, and sharing ideas with each other," said SPIE CEO Kent Rochford. "This world-class event has become paramount to the industry, and we are proud to bring the global community together each year to learn from each other, understand trends, and collaboratively plan ahead. I am already looking forward to the conversations and innovation at Photonics West 2027 next January."

View highlights from the week, including links to the Show Dailies and coverage in the press. This page will continue to be updated with new photos and articles as they are released.

SPIE Photonics West 2027 will take place 30 January – 4 February at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The call for papers for the 2027 event will open in Spring of 2026.

About SPIE

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, brings engineers, scientists, students, and business professionals together to advance light-based science and technology. The Society, founded in 1955, connects and engages with our global constituency through industry-leading conferences and exhibitions; publications of conference proceedings, books, and journals in the SPIE Digital Library; and career-building opportunities. Over the past five years, we have invested more than $26 million in the international optics community through our advocacy and support, including scholarships, educational resources, travel grants, endowed gifts, and public-policy development. spie.org

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