ECOC is one of the largest events of science and industry in said field and it typically attracts 4,000 to 5,000 attendees from around the world. The meeting serves the industry to showcase the latest developments and it is the anchor meeting for scientists working in the field.

This year’s ECOC, to be held in Basel, Switzerland, gives insights into future trends in the field of 5G/6G, on terahertz communications, machine learning or free space optics. It features latest developments in integrated optics, plasmonics or the cointegration with electronics.

ECOC has a long tradition. The first meeting was held in 1974, triggered by the first experimental demonstration of optical fibers with loss below 20 dB/km in 1970 by the Corning team of Donald Keck, Robert Maurer, and Peter Schulz. ECOC has been held ever since, in yearly conferences. In the meantime, more than five billion kilometers of fiber (33 times the distance from earth to sun) have been deployed, a number that gives testimony to this game changing technology that has paved the way for today’s internet and personal communications. As the innovation continues, meetings such as this one are needed to report on breakthroughs and novel applications in optics and communications.

The conference part is going to be opened by five exciting plenary speakers and extends even beyond its pre-Covid full programme with workshops, invited talks, tutorials, and regular papers. A special highlight is the postdeadline paper session on Thursday. It is the annual competition for a presentation slot in the most prestigious session. Only a limited number of slots will be reserved for the latest and best work in the field. ECOC 2022 also is an opportunity to get in-depth training in key fields by means of short courses. Last but not least, a rump session on “Megatrends or No-Megatrends” invites attendees to a vivid controversial discussion.

The conference also runs alongside the ECOC exhibition which brings you over 250 exhibitors. Highlights this year include live market focus presentations, product demonstrations, a job wall, and an industry award ceremony. The event will once again be a meeting place, knowledge center, and platform to showcase the latest optical technology as innovators, thought leaders, and global companies arrive in the city of Basel.