PIC International 2026 returned to Brussels for two days of focused, in-depth coverage of the photonic integrated circuits industry, drawing the community together across materials, devices, packaging, and applications. Part of an AngelTech week that welcomed over 800 attendees and a sold-out exhibition floor, the conference featured a packed programme of presentations and panel discussions reflecting the rapid pace of progress across silicon photonics, InP, and the emerging material platforms shaping the next generation of devices.
What set this year apart was the prominence of AI-driven infrastructure and optical communications as the dominant application story. Speakers and delegates explored how PIC innovation is moving from lab to deployment at scale - from hyperscale data centres and high-speed transceivers through to sensing, healthcare, and quantum computing. The four-conference structure of AngelTech 2026, with CS, PE, and the newly added Advanced Packaging International alongside PIC, reinforced just how interconnected materials, devices, packaging, and systems have become.
But the real value of PIC International continues to be measured in conversations rather than counts. Three days under one roof with the engineers, founders, foundries, packaging houses, and OEMs shaping the industry - that's where partnerships form, business gets done, and the next wave of innovation takes root. PIC International 2026 delivered on that promise at greater scale and with greater connection than ever before.