UK Photonics Industry
Discover the UK’s Photonics industry and the companies working with advanced optical technologies. View company data, industry trends, market size, financials and download our free sector report today.
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What is Photonics?
Photonics refers to the physical science of light waves. A branch of optics (the study of the behavior and properties of light), Photonics describes the generation, detection and manipulation of light.
In the UK, the Photonics industry is made up of a wide range of companies designing, manufacturing and using advanced optical technologies. This includes those working in microelectronics, remote sensing, telecommunications and even quantum technology. Examples of Photonics include lasers, smartphone screens and cameras and fibre optic cables.
Photonics sector summary
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Here are the key facts about the Photonics sector. The sector has a turnover of £19.1bn currently, has received £3.3bn of investment and the sector is growing at 5.4% per year.
Photonics verticals
Our industry data goes deep. See the top verticals and specialisms making waves in the UK Photonics industry today.
Our Photonics RTIC is made up of 7 individual verticals. The top verticals in this sector include Smart Sensors, and Industry 4.0. You can find out more about the verticals by downloading our RTIC report, or by signing up for a free trial of The Data City platform.
- Sector Code Description Records
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RTIC0027 Photonics 1315 companies
Companies working with advanced optical technologies, often lasers, fibre optic cables, rapid data transmission, etc.
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Photonics: Industry 4.0366 companies
Companies providing products using photonics technology (i.e, light sensors) for smart factories
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Photonics: Microelectronics134 companies
Companies using advanced photonics technology (i.e, laser) for the manufacture of microelectronics
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Photonics: Optics322 companies
Companies developing specialised optical products
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Photonics: Photovoltaics328 companies
Companies producing photovoltaic technology and/or derived products
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Photonics: Quantum Tech172 companies
Companies applying photonics technology and knowledge into the development of quantum technologies
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Photonics: Smart Sensors374 companies
Companies supplying remote monitoring products that use photonics technology
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Photonics: Telecommunications131 companies
Companies applying photonics technology and knowledge to the development of telecommunications infrastructure, products and services
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Photonics industry growth
Based on a growth rate of 5.4%, we expect that this sector could be worth £21.3bn by 2026. Below you can see our forecast of the growth of the sector.
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