Applications of Photonics 2026: Thales Group, Finland and Marginum

The Applications of Photonics lecture and webinar series will be held for the eighth time in autumn 2026. 

The series presents practical uses of photonics through talks by experts from industry, research, and the wider photonics community. Topics will cover how light-based technologies are applied in areas such as imaging, sensing, diagnostics, displays, lighting, quantum technologies, environmental monitoring, and advanced manufacturing.

Organized by the Center for Photonics Sciences at the University of Eastern Finland in collaboration with PREIN flagship, Photonics Finland, Photonics Joensuu, I-DEEP doctoral training pilot, Phortify project, and iPSRS Erasmus Mundus programme, the series is hosted by Professor Jyrki Saarinen.

Sessions will be held in hybrid format at the UEF Joensuu campus and online via Microsoft Teams. The series is free of charge and open to everyone. No registration or advance sign-up is required. You can join as many sessions as you like. Welcome!

Session times

This session of the Applications of Photonics 2026 series features presentations from Thales Group, Finland and Marginum, focusing on optics for security and photonics in medicine.

Wednesday, 4 November 2026

10:15 – 11:00 Thales Group, Finland – Teemu Pohjola 
Topic: Optics for security 
11:15 – 12:00 Marginum – Samu Lehtonen 
Topic: Photonics in Medicine: Aspirate Tissue Monitoring for Cancer Surgery

Weekly sessions are scheduled as follows:
Tuesdays: 12:15–14:00
Wednesdays: 10:15–12:00
Thursdays: 14:15–16:00

Each presentation lasts 45 minutes, consisting of a 30-minute talk followed by 15 minutes for questions and discussion. A session may include one or two presentations, depending on the programme.

The confirmed presentations include contributions from industry, research organisations and experts in the photonics community. Participating companies and organisations include: Aalto University, Agate Sensors, ASML, Business Tampere, ColdXray, Corning, Dispelix, Ecoaims, Kimmelux, LEDiL, Maculaser, Marginum, Nanocomp, Nokia, Recolth, Rumble Tools, Thales Group, Timegate, Visual Festival Light Artists and ZEISS.

See the detailed schedule of the serie at https://sites.uef.fi/photonics/applications-of-photonics/.