The 26th annual ICTON conference kicked off in Prague

The conference began on Sunday, July 12, with the opening of the registration desk and an evening Welcome Reception, which provided the first opportunity for participants to meet informally and establish new professional contacts.

Today, the first day of the conference, began with a festive opening ceremony, followed by a plenary session featuring presentations by leading global experts in the fields of photonics, optical communications, and quantum technologies. The morning program also included the traditional group photo of conference participants, after which the program split into parallel technical sessions and workshops dedicated to topics such as quantum photonics, metamaterials, new optical materials, optical amplifiers, communication networks, and other current topics in contemporary photonics research.

Another key part of this year’s event is a workshop featuring presentations on the LasApp project – Breakthrough Laser Technologies for Smart Manufacturing, Space, and Bio-Tech Applications – which focuses on the use of laser technologies in industry, space, and biotechnology applications. The workshop presents the results and activities of the European LasApp project, which received financial support from the Jan Amos Komenský Operational Program of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports and is co-financed by European Union funds. This is followed by the LasApp poster session, where research teams present their latest findings and establish professional collaborations with other conference participants.

For more than a quarter of a century, ICTON has been one of Europe’s leading conferences focused on optical communication networks, photonics, and related technologies. In addition to the main conference, this year’s event also includes a series of specialized workshops covering a wide range of topics – from optical networks, laser technologies, and integrated photonics to quantum communication, advanced photonic materials, and other promising areas of current research.

A detailed program and additional information about the conference are available on the ICTON 2026 website: https://icton2026.ufe.cz/.