IMM Photonics is the winner of the inaugural European Photonics Industry Consortium’s Sustainability Award 2025 for their outstanding contributions to environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Established in 1992, IMM Photonics specializes in the development and production of optical and optoelectronic components and modules, and since 2015, they have been pursuing a corporate policy of sustainability.

In the area of energy and environment, their achievements to date include a reduction in CO₂ emissions by over 45 % in 2023 vs. 2022 (mobility, heating, electricity), 100 % renewable energy used at their energy-intensive Teisnach location, and energy-efficient LED lighting at both locations.

Carlos Lee, director general of EPIC congratulated the CEO Christian Raith, saying “IMM Photonics is an excellent example of what can be done in sustainability. This is one of the most critical issues companies will face in the coming years as both politics and society increasingly demand that businesses take on more responsibility in climate and environmental protection.”

Theodor Nielsen, founder and CEO of NIL Technology is the recipient of the EPIC CEO Award 2025. The award recognizes Nielsen’s outstanding leadership and contributions to the photonics industry particularly in the manufacture of nanoscale, high-precision optical elements and components.

Nielsen holds an MSc in applied physics / nanotechnology) from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). After three years as a PhD student working with nanoimprint lithography, he founded NIL Technology (NILT) as CEO in 2006. Since then, he has led NILT from a two-man operation to a globally recognized leader in advanced optics, focusing on nanostructures defining a new standard for optics in metalenses, DOEs and advanced waveguide displays. In 2025, the company was acquired by Radiant Opto-Electronics Corporation (ROE) for 300 million euros.

Eric Mottay was honored with the 2025 EPIC Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions and leadership in developing ultrafast laser technologies and machine learning in laser microprocessing.

After graduating from École Supérieure d'Optique near Paris in 1985, Mottay specialized in laser development and manufacturing, and in 2001, he founded Amplitude Laser. Under his leadership, the company became a global leader in ultrafast lasers, catering to scientific, medical, and industrial applications. It expanded internationally, establishing subsidiaries in countries such as Germany, the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and China. Amplitude has experienced strong growth in recent years, with revenues reaching between 70 and 80 million euros, driven by a workforce of more than four hundred employees across three continents.

Further reading: EPIC awards for Viacheslav Artyushenko, Axel Kupisiewicz, wileyindustrynews.com, 19 April 2024