Katsumasa Fujita
Director, Photonics Center
Professor, Department of Applied Physics,
Graduate School of Engineering
The University of Osaka

Photonics is the science and technology of understanding and utilising the interaction between light and matter, with applications across a broad spectrum—from basic scientific research to advanced industrial technologies. The Photonics Center at the University of Osaka serves as a leading hub for photonics research, education, and innovation. It provides shared research facilities, open laboratories, and state-of-the-art equipment to support advanced photonics research. The Center also organises colloquia, seminars, and specialised educational programmes to train the next generation of researchers and engineers in the field of photonics, fostering strong networks between academia and industry.

In FY2022, the University of Osaka was selected for the COI-NEXT project LIPS: The Photonics Hub for Life and Biomedical Applications, funded by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). The Photonics Center plays a central role in this initiative, promoting interdisciplinary research and innovation that connects photonics with a wide range of biomedical applications.

The Photonics Center Building, completed in FY2009 with support from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), strengthened the university’s capacity for collaboration with domestic and international research institutions and companies. Earlier, in FY2007, the Center launched the Photonics Advanced Research Center (PARC) project, selected under the “Creation of Innovation Centers for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Areas” programme by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Supported for ten years, the PARC project laid the groundwork for the Center’s long-standing commitment to cutting-edge interdisciplinary photonics research.