Matter PR worked closely with UKTI and the UK Government’s ‘GREAT’ campaign to put photonics at the heart of this global campaign to showcase the best of UK research and innovation to the rest of the world.

Matter PR was retained by the South East Photonics Network (SEPNET) to help them raise awareness and understanding about the importance of lasers, fibre optic cable, and smart lighting to the UK during the International Year of Light 2015.

The UK is a global leader in light-related research, technology, and development with 1500 companies employing over 70,000 people and generating over £10 billion per annum in economic revenue. From lasers to fibre optic cable, it is a critical technology that underpins many high value sectors including manufacturing, healthcare, and telecommunications.

Matter PR’s Managing Director David Reid said: “The campaign will focus on demonstrating how Britain is a world leader in photonics research and manufacturing and help the photonics community highlight how important this is to the UK’s economic growth and how many jobs it creates.”

The six-month campaign involved a series of parliamentary engagement activities, posters, case studies, social and digital media content, and a number of creative events linked to Rio 2016.

SEPNET Manager John Lincoln said: “Photonics is a key underpinning technology but it is often overshadowed by bigger challenges or hot topics. Matter PR will help us reach out to a wider set of stakeholders to demonstrate how vital it is to key industries in the UK from telecommunication to automotive manufacturing. They will also help us promote the fact that the UK is genuinely a world leader in this field.”