Poland has an active optics and photonics research and industry community, bringing together universities, research institutes, technology companies and professional organisations.

Photonics research and development in Poland covers technologies including lasers, optical fibres, optoelectronics, infrared detection, optical sensing, spectroscopy and photonic devices.

The Polish photonics ecosystem connects fundamental research with industrial applications in areas such as telecommunications, manufacturing, healthcare, environmental monitoring and scientific instrumentation.

Sources: Polish Technology Platform for Photonics | PARP – Photonics Sector Report 2026

Polish research institutions and companies develop photonic technologies with applications in telecommunications, industrial production, healthcare, scientific instrumentation and optical measurement.

The Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) published its 2026 report, The Professional Electronics, Microelectronics and Photonics Sector in Poland.

The publication provides an overview of Poland's technology ecosystem, research and industrial capabilities, and companies active in these fields.

Source: Polish Agency for Enterprise Development – 2026 Report

National professional societies and industry organisations support scientific exchange, technology development and cooperation between research and industry in Poland.

Optics and photonics research is carried out at universities and research institutes across Poland.

Their activities range from fundamental studies of light and quantum phenomena to the development of optical fibres, photonic materials, lasers, optical sensors and optoelectronic systems.

Selected universities active in these fields include:

• Wrocław University of Science and Technology (Wrocław) – research in specialty optical fibres, photonic components, ultrafast lasers, optical frequency combs and spectroscopy. Sources: Fiber Optics Group | Optical Frequency Comb Group
• University of Warsaw (Warsaw) – research in quantum optical technologies, including quantum communication, quantum information processing, sensing and imaging. Source: Centre for Quantum Optical Technologies
• Warsaw University of Technology (Warsaw) – research in photonics, nonlinear optics, optical information technologies, photonic materials and optical measurement systems. Sources: Optics and Photonics Division | Photonic Technologies
• Nicolaus Copernicus University (Toruń) – research in photonics, quantum physics, atomic and molecular physics, spectroscopy, frequency metrology, biophysics and related fields. Source: Institute of Physics
• AGH University of Krakow (Kraków) – research in photonic and luminescent materials, functional nanomaterials and materials for applications in medicine, environmental monitoring and metrology. Source: Photonics Luminescent Advanced Materials Group
• Gdańsk University of Technology (Gdańsk) – research in optoelectronics, fibre-optic sensors, optical measurement, imaging, spectroscopy and photonic instrumentation. Source: Department of Optoelectronics – Research
• Białystok University of Technology (Białystok) – research and education in photonics, optical fibre technologies, lighting technology, optoelectronics and related electronic systems. Source: Department of Photonics, Electronics and Lighting Technology
• Łódź University of Technology (Łódź) – education in optoelectronic materials and devices, photonic crystal modelling, semiconductor technologies, optical fibres and photonics fundamentals. Source: Institute of Physics – Optoelectronics
• Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (Lublin) – research in optical fibre fabrication, specialty fibres, microstructured optical fibres, fibre-optic sensors and optical fibre technology. Source: Laboratory of Optical Fiber Technology
• Military University of Technology (Warsaw) – research and education in laser technologies, optoelectronics, optical systems and photonic technologies, including applications in measurement and sensing. Sources: Institute of Optoelectronics | University Research and Inventions
• Jagiellonian University (Kraków) – research in quantum optics, atomic optics, interaction of ultrashort laser pulses with matter, ultracold atoms and quantum information. Source: Atomic Optics Department
• Adam Mickiewicz University (Poznań) – research in quantum optics, quantum information, cavity quantum electrodynamics, optical lattices and light–matter interactions. Source: Institute of Spintronics and Quantum Information

These universities are selected examples rather than an exhaustive list of Polish institutions involved in optics and photonics.

In addition to universities, dedicated research institutes contribute to photonics research, innovation and technology transfer in Poland.

• Łukasiewicz – Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics – research and development in microelectronics, optoelectronics, nanophotonics, semiconductor technologies, photonic components and materials engineering. Source: Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute Information

Polish companies are active in fields including infrared detection, optical components, fibre-optic technologies, laser systems and precision optical measurement.

Examples listed by the Polish Technology Platform for Photonics include:

• VIGO Photonics – a manufacturer of infrared photodetectors. Source: PPTF – VIGO Photonics
• Solaris Optics – a manufacturer of high-precision optical components. Source: PPTF – Member Directory
• Fibrain – a Polish company producing fibre-optic technologies, including specialty optical fibres and passive optical devices. Source: PPTF – Fibrain

The PPTF member directory contains further examples of Polish companies, universities, research institutes and organisations active in the sector.

Wrocław is home to Wrocław University of Science and Technology, where several research groups work on optics and photonics.

Their activities include specialty optical fibres, optical frequency combs, ultrafast lasers, terahertz radiation and spectroscopy.

Sources: Fiber Optics Group | Optical Frequency Comb Group | THz Laboratory

The university's Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems also offers an Electronics and Photonics degree programme, covering photonic components, optoelectronics and integrated optics.

Source: Wrocław Tech – Electronics and Photonics Programme

The information on this page is based on publications and websites of Polish research institutions, universities, professional societies, industry organisations and technology companies.