18/03/2025 – The Blue Event Mer & Photonique brought together 75 professionals, industrialists and researchers in Lannion on Thursday 13 March to discuss photonic technologies applied to the maritime sector. Co-organised by the Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique, Photonics Bretagne and Technopole Anticipa, in partnership with Images & Réseaux and Lannion Trégor Communauté, the event aimed to highlight the innovations that are revolutionising maritime applications by drawing parallels between complex issues and key solutions.
Objective achieved! Against a backdrop of intensified naval combat, re-acquisition of sovereignty, ecological transition and surveillance of maritime space, this event confirmed the strong development potential of photonic technologies applied to the maritime sector, highlighting the wealth and complementary nature of French players.
A rich programme with renowned speakers
The day was structured around conferences, round tables and technical presentations, with talks by experts from leading companies and organisations in the sector, including Thales, Exail, Safran, Naval Group, Cailabs, Oxxius, FEBUS Optics and many others.
The day began with a plenary speech by Sylvie Paolacci (Defence Innovation Agency) on the strategic opportunities offered by light technologies in the maritime sector, followed by a tour of Exail and a cocktail reception. This was followed by a visit to Exail and a cocktail reception. Pauline Dubus, Sub-Prefect of Lannion, opened the afternoon by emphasising the importance of local innovations, before taking participants on a tour of three major areas of application:
▪️Communication. Thales/DMS, Cailabs, Oxxius and SEDI-ATI Fibres Optiques came together for this 1st round table, chaired by David Méchin (Photonics Bretagne), to talk about laser technologies for optimised data transmission in the maritime environment.
▪️Surveillance, detection and classification. 6 companies presented their technologies and case studies in LiDAR, distributed optical fibre (DxS) detection, optronics and hyperspectral technologies: Lumibird, Fosina, FEBUS optics, IDIL Fibres Optiques, Hytech Imaging, and I2S/Orphie.
▪️Navigation. During a 2nd round table moderated by Sébastien Le Gac (Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique), Exail, Safran, Kwan-Tek, SBG System, and Naval Group shared their vision of navigation technologies: inertial units, laser positioning and quantum magnetometers for greater precision.
An exclusive visit to the Exail site
In addition to the discussions and lectures, participants were given a unique opportunity to visit the Exail site, choosing from two tours:
▪️Fabrication fibre optics: immerse yourself in the production of high-precision fibres.
▪️Centrales inertial: discover advanced navigation technologies.
Exail’s Lannion site specialises in the production of special optical fibres and inertial navigation units. During the visit, participants discovered the key stages in the manufacture of optical fibres, from the creation of the preform to drawing and coating, ensuring their protection and mechanical strength. They also observed the fibre winding process, the production of accelerometers, and the assembly and rigorous testing of inertial units, guaranteeing their precision and reliability for maritime, land, aeronautical and space navigation. It was a visit that everyone thoroughly enjoyed!
A great opportunity for professionals
The event provided a unique opportunity to create synergies and discover technological innovations applied to the maritime sector. It was a great success, thanks to the quality of the speakers and the many exchanges between participants, paving the way for future collaborations and the exploration of concrete solutions to current challenges in the sector.