Developments in the field of mobility and safety include matrix and laser headlights, state-of-the-art light detection and ranging or time-of-flight camera technologies for future autonomous driving and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as fibre optic distributed acoustic sensing systems for real-time detection, tracking of trains and monitoring of traffic infrastructure. 

In the field of life science, health and environment, contributions for optical imaging techniques in particular optical coherence tomography for non-contact, depth-resolved visualization of tissues are especially noteworthy. Achievements in sensors and methods for environmental monitoring, such as air and water pollution control or agricultural production, are also of major significance.

Intelligent, environmentally friendly lighting made in Austria is in use worldwide, whether with a focus on Human Centric Lighting aspects or for Horticulture applications. Research into intelligent systems and efficient optical solutions has been on the agenda of companies and research institutes for years.

The same applies to Austrian sensor, production and quality assurance technology. Austrian companies and institutes are currently working on photonics methods for non-destructive quality assurance developments. Lasers are the preferred energy sources not only for welding, but also for most types of 3D printing or additive manufacturing.

Modern information and communication systems would not be possible without laser technologies. Photons in fibre optic cables travel long distances with up to 20 times less loss, compared to electrons. Furthermore, photonic technologies are invaluable for data storage and for future novel computing units.

Austrian institutes and companies are also at the forefront of optical quantum technology worldwide, especially with the development of optical quantum computers. This can certainly be attributed to the high level of Austrian education and basic research in photonics compared to other countries.