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.
Presented by the Center for eXtended Reality (CXR) in partnership with The AR Alliance.
This two-day workshop brings together leaders from optics, vision science, AI, manufacturing, and consumer electronics to address one of the biggest challenges in augmented reality: integrating advanced display technology into highly customized prescription eyewear.
Through cross-disciplinary collaboration, participants will explore the technical and business opportunities shaping the future of AR glasses.
The event opens with an evening program featuring a keynote presentation and opportunities for networking and discussion.
The full-day workshop will focus on the technical and industry challenges surrounding prescription-integrated AR.
The program will bring together experts from across the AR, optics, vision, manufacturing, and consumer electronics communities for presentations, discussion, networking, and collaborative exploration of the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of AR glasses.
Registration will be open to all and limited to two participants per institution. 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.