Advancing Optics
Where innovation meets industry
Optics week is a series of events focused on advancing innovation, collaboration, and technology leadership across optics, vision science, augmented reality, and advanced manufacturing. This comprehensive program brings together academic researchers, industry executives, entrepreneurs, and technology leaders for board meetings, technical workshops, research presentations, networking events, and strategic industry discussions.
Participants will gain insights into the latest developments in optical technologies, augmented reality and vision systems, advanced manufacturing, and emerging research applications while fostering meaningful partnerships across academia, industry, and the innovation ecosystem.
Registration requirements and attendee eligibility vary by event.
8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
CeFO drives precompetitive, multidisciplinary research across universities and institutions to accelerate innovation in freeform optics. The consortium advances research, education, and application-oriented solutions across the entire manufacturing chain—from optical design and materials to fabrication, testing, alignment, and assembly—while strengthening manufacturing capabilities, enabling technology transfer, demonstrating next-generation optical systems, and developing the future workforce.
Only select people may attend, but anyone may register to be placed on a waitlist that will be reviewed by CeFO staff.
Curated networking across AR, vision science, and optical manufacturing
Presented by the Center for eXtended Reality (CXR) in partnership with The AR Alliance, Vision Meets Optics begins with a networking convening bringing together leaders across AR development, vision science, ophthalmology, and optical manufacturing. The goal of the evening is to connect participants working on related challenges and encourage exchange of perspectives.
Prescription-integrated AR sits at the intersection of multiple industries with different constraints and incentives. This gathering is intended to surface those differences and help participants understand the broader landscape of work happening across the field.
The evening is designed around networking with light programming to support cross-disciplinary conversation.
Advancing solutions for prescription-integrated AR systems
Building on the convening the night before, Vision Meets Optics continues with a symposium focused on integrating prescription optics into AR systems. The program brings together researchers, engineers, and industry specialists for presentations and discussion across optical design, fabrication, and system integration.
Topics include emerging approaches in lens design, next-generation manufacturing methods, and material systems relevant to scalable prescription-integrated AR devices. Each session highlights current constraints and areas where technical progress is needed.
The symposium is structured to support exchange between experts and to surface practical directions for collaboration across the optical and AR ecosystem.
Registration: Open to industry professionals and University of Rochester faculty, with University of Rochester student participation by invitation. Additional program details and registration information will be announced soon.
1:30 - 5:30 p.m.
STELLAR is an NSF Regional Innovation Engine focused on creating a laser ecosystem in the Rochester/Finger Lakes region. Our three pillars are:
The workshop will focus on how we will accomplish our goals, partner with companies and educational institutions, and what each has to offer. Two representatives from any company are welcome to register.
7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
The Industrial Associates Symposium connects member companies with world-class faculty and highly qualified optics students. The program features presentations on the latest research and institute initiatives, and updates from industry, followed by a career fair and networking reception where companies can recruit students for internships, co-ops, and full-time positions.
Our guest speaker will be Nobel Prize winner, Donna Strickland.
IA companies may register as many representatives as they want. All previous non-guest companies may register two representatives.
CVS is an interdisciplinary center focused on understanding the visual system. The retreat connects university researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry innovators to stimulate new avenues for cooperation, new perspectives for career development, and to solve visual system problems. Attendees will have opportunities to exchange ideas, explore emerging research, and build collaborations that advance vision science and its real-world applications.
We’d like to thank the following organizations for organizing and creating the events for Optics Week.
Want more information about Optics Week?
Questions about Optics Week? Email Clara Bocchini for more information.