Photonics West, one of the world's most important trade fairs for optics and photonics, took place from 28 to 30 January 2025 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. For the first time, the German Pavilion was applied for by VDMA Laser and Laser Systems for Material Processing together with Spectaris, which represented an important step for the members.

The German Pavilion was organised by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and implemented by Messe Stuttgart. 64 German companies presented their innovative products and technologies ‘Made in Germany’. The exhibitors from Germany had the opportunity to display small exhibits at their stands, which was used by most exhibitors. The stand was characterised by its homogeneous and eye-catching design, which was very well received by visitors.

A wide range of optical technologies were presented at the trade fair and the German Pavilion, including lasers and other light sources, laser accessories, laser systems, cameras and CCD components, optical components, communication technologies, optical detectors, high-speed imaging and sensors, optical materials and substrates, IR sources and detectors, electronic imaging components, optical coatings, lenses and filters, mounts, and measurement technology and software. Particularly noteworthy is the new AR/VR/MR Exhibition area with around 50 exhibitors. The Quantum West Expo was introduced in 2024 to showcase quantum technologies and was again part of the event in 2025. It is one of the parallel events embedded in the scientific, technical and economic policy conference programme at Photonics West.

The German presence at the trade fair included large companies such as Jenoptik and Trumpf, which had large and visually very attractive exhibition stands, as well as numerous medium-sized companies. In total, around 92 German or German-based companies were represented with their own stand outside the joint stand. A total of 1,293 exhibitors from 35 different countries were named by the organiser of Photonics West.

The response from exhibitors at the German Pavilion was positive across the board. Almost one tenth of the participating companies were there for the first time, while the vast majority had already exhibited in previous years. The exhibitors' primary trade fair objectives, such as customer acquisition, market observation, image advertising and product launches, were largely achieved. In particular, the number of qualified visitors was rated positively. According to the trade fair company, a total of 24,000 trade visitors from 75 countries attended the fair. The follow-up business of the German exhibitors at the German Pavilion was rated as good overall, and almost all companies plan to participate again in 2026.

Photonics West 2025 was once again a great success for the German photonics industry. The high visibility and easy accessibility of the German Pavilion helped to attract many qualified visitors from North America, Europe and Asia to the stand, enabling them to make valuable contacts. The trade fair provided an excellent platform for presenting new products and technologies, as well as for maintaining and expanding international business relationships.

The next Photonics West will take place from 20 to 22 January 2026. Interested companies have the opportunity to participate again in the German Pavilion and benefit from the numerous advantages of this platform.