R.I.MacDonaldPresident,

Canadian Institute for Photonics InnovationOttawa Centre for Research and Innovation

The Partnership Conference Series: The Photonics Conference

September 22, 2003

CIPI’s Challenges to Photonics Researchers

• CIPI isCIPI is of 19 of 19 current current NNetworks of etworks of CCentres of entres of EExcellencexcellence established by the Government of Canada to established by the Government of Canada to foster foster partnerships between university, government and industrypartnerships between university, government and industry

• $ 25 M $ 25 M Federal funding, Federal funding, $ 2.5 M $ 2.5 M aaverage yearly contribution verage yearly contribution from from affiliatesaffiliates

• 68 investigators at 21 universities across Canada, 68 investigators at 21 universities across Canada,

• 16 projects, training over 200 graduate students. 16 projects, training over 200 graduate students.

• Proposing renewed funding 2005-2012Proposing renewed funding 2005-2012

CIPICIPI

• Information & communications has dominated photonics for the past 10-15 years

• The receptor industry in photonic IT is in a turndown• Canada’s innovation strategy has 4 areas:

– health & human development, – information & communications, – natural resources, – engineering & manufacturing.

• Photonics has relevance to all these areas

Background situationBackground situation

• Networks in their second phase should have developed– a clearer vision– an improved capability to marshal the University resources

of the country into a coherent activity– methods to redirect effort where it is most likely to be

exploited.

• CIPI has developed a national strategy for photonics research in the Canadian universities

• This talk describes CIPI’s strategy and outlines how it is being implemented

This talkThis talk

Forming teams

Theme Theme Theme Theme Theme

How Networks Develop -1How Networks Develop -1

Thrust Thrust Thrust

Setting targets

How Networks Develop -2How Networks Develop -2

StrategicResponses

Challenge

UnmetRequirements

Unneeded Capability

Challenge Challenge

Setting a coherent strategySetting a coherent strategy

How Networks Develop -3How Networks Develop -3

• Taking account of– Canadian research strengths; – the needs of Canadian industry;– the interests and capabilities of the researchers;– results that could be exploited by Canadian entities – researchers need for guidance on the changing photonics sector;

CIPI has established national goals for university research in photonics

• Special Conditions:– Applied research in universities is mostly at the creative stage– desired outcomes cannot be specified in detail

• A set of high level CHALLENGES were issued to the researchers.

The CHALLENGE conceptThe CHALLENGE concept

• A Challenge has a formal structure that states― a broad vision that considers Canada’s advantage or need― a specific set of goals.― an indication of the specific benefits ― some example activities that would address the challenge.

• A project must address at least one challenge, but it may address many. Some challenges may not attract any interest.

• Challenges are only guides to thought – they do not define the structure of the network

• The response to the challenges is the basis for CIPI’s second phase research

CIPI’s ChallengesCIPI’s Challenges

Challenge 3 : Ultrafast molecular structure analysisVision:

World leadership in laser-based molecular analysis capitalizing on world leadership in femtoscience

Goals• Capability to determine structure of non-crystalizable molecules (e.g.

proteins) Criterion: Angstrom dimensions, < 100 femtoseconds

• Capability to determine molecule-molecule interactions in cells Criterion (10-100 molecules, 100 to 200 nm)

• Coordination of national facilities and programs with Life Science activities Benefits

• New tools for proteomics–global competitiveness• Faster and cheaper drug development

Some needs• Developing new imaging techniques• Developing mathematical/computational models and methods• Developing new optical systems

A typical ChallengeA typical Challenge

• Challenge 1: Practical femtosecond lasers– Vision: A new femtosecond laser-based industry in Canada capitalizing

on the progress made in the first phase of CIPI

• Challenge 2: Photon therapeutics and diagnostics– Vision: Precision and specificity in minimally invasive medical

procedures

• Challenge 3: Ultrafast molecular structure analysis– Vision: World leadership in laser-based molecular analysis capitalizing

on world leadership in femtoscience

• Challenge 4: Routing in high capacity and access networks– Vision: Networks capable of supporting broadband service at any

terminal

The ChallengesThe Challenges

• Challenge 5: Fabrication and measurement with high resolution or high throughput

– Vision: World leading capabilities in precision optical fabrication and inspection

• Challenge 6: Lab-on-a-chip– Vision: Extend molecular analytic capabilities to ultra-small volumes, high

sensitivities and high throughput

• Challenge 7: Multidimensional imaging– Vision: Multiple imaging techniques to enhance information gathering of structure

and function

• Challenge 8: photonic microsystems– Vision: Miniaturized optical systems to complement or outperform

microelectronic functions

The ChallengesThe Challenges

• Challenge 9: environmental, hazard and industrial sensing – Vision: To capitalize on Canada’s leadership role in photonics to enable

Kyoto adherence and ensure a safe environment

• Challenge 10: enabling optical technologies– Vision: Provide the tools to enable other challenges to be met

• Open Challenge– New challenges must relate to areas where Canada has a particular

advantage or need, and must demonstrably have the potential to lead to useful exploitation on reasonable time scales and development budgets. A broad vision and a specific set of goals must be stated.

The ChallengesThe Challenges

2 Challenges related to telecoms (4,8)

3 Challenges related to bioscience (2,3,6)

3 Challenges related to fabrication and measurement (5,7,9)

2 Challenges related to basic photonic capabilities (1,10)

Breadth of applications shows broadening of Photonics as a technology sector.

SynopsisSynopsis

• Industrial Affiliates– Concept favourably received– Perception that CIPI will focus the efforts of the research

community more effectively by this approach.

• Researchers– Initial confusion

• Note: The challenge approach is quite different from other bases for research funding in Canada, and the research community has taken some time to come to terms with it.

– Growing interest

ResponseResponse