On 17 June 2026, a delegation of researchers from APP took part in the inaugural session of the 13th International Scientific Conference “Relaxation, Nonlinear and Acoustic Optical Processes and Materials” (RNAOPM’2026), held at Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University. The Polytechnic researchers delivered plenary talks in which they presented their own scientific results and shared their experience of implementing international grant projects.
Science at the Intersection of Photonics and Telecommunications
The delegation brought together specialists in physics and information and communication technologies. In their plenary talks, the researchers presented the outcomes of two European projects under the Horizon Europe programme. The first of them, LASER-PRO (Grant Agreement No. 101186838), is aimed at building and strengthening the national innovation ecosystem in the field of laser technologies on the basis of European experience. The second, TeraHertz (Grant Agreement No. 101086493), is dedicated to developing new materials and devices for controlling terahertz radiation.
The presentation materials for both areas were delivered by Prof. Anatolii Andrushchak, Prof. Marian Kyryk and Prof. Ivan Demydov. The researchers carried out a retrospective analysis of the technological readiness of the university’s developments for the transition from laboratory samples to pilot demonstration installations. They paid particular attention to the field of terahertz radiation control for heterogeneous next-generation mobile communication systems, as well as for short-range radars. This analysis made it possible to outline the actual state of technological readiness and to determine the steps needed for further implementation.
LASER-PRO: From the Laboratory to the Market
Considerable attention during the session was devoted to the LASER-PRO project, in which APP participates as a partner alongside the Scientific Park of APP, the company NoviNano Lab and the NGO Junior Achievement Ukraine. The project unites research institutions, businesses and innovation structures from the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Ukraine, and is implemented within the Horizon Europe programme (HORIZON-WIDERA, Excellence Hubs), coordinated by the leading Czech laser centre HiLASE.
The key goal of the project is to shape a sustainable innovation ecosystem that brings together science, business, government and society in the field of laser technologies. The Ukrainian partners joined the consortium through a mentoring programme designed to strengthen the capacity of the Lviv innovation community, ensure the exchange of best practices and open up new opportunities for cooperation with European colleagues.
Among the project opportunities presented during the conference were the open financial support calls (FSTP) for small and medium-sized enterprises working with laser technologies and their applications. Separate attention was given to mentoring and consulting programmes for start-ups and spin-offs, including support in matters of market entry and investment attraction. An equally important direction is the development of international partnerships between the academic community and industry, the exchange of specialists and the implementation of joint research and development initiatives.
Science and Business: A Joint Search for Solutions
The plenary talks gave rise to substantive discussions on the prospects for the development of research, international cooperation and the commercialisation of results. Following the discussion, priority areas for industrial testing of the university’s developments were identified, along with the steps needed to attract international partners.
Participation in the conference underscores the importance of exchanging international experience in order to focus researchers’ efforts on solving relevant knowledge-intensive challenges together with business, drawing on the practices of European academic and entrepreneurial circles. The grant programmes and support instruments presented demonstrate that cooperation between science and industry is becoming an increasingly tangible driving force behind technological development.
For reference: The LASER-PRO project is implemented with the support of the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme (Grant Agreement No. 101186838). The TeraHertz project is implemented under Grant Agreement No. 101086493.
