The workshop brings together researchers and stakeholders from photonics, computing, and machine learning to explore the emerging role of photonic systems in next-generation information processing. It offers a unique platform to discuss how light-based hardware and physical computing paradigms can address the growing demands of advanced computation, simulation, and AI workloads.
The central theme of the workshop is the idea that photonic materials, devices, and architectures can perform computations directly—beyond traditional logic gate-based approaches. By leveraging the intrinsic properties of light and optical systems, new models for fast, parallel, and energy-efficient computation are rapidly evolving. We aim to explore these developments in depth, from theoretical concepts to experimental implementations and machine learning applications.
The workshop will feature invited talks from leading experts, a poster session open to all participants, and opportunities to contribute oral presentations or propose focused symposia.
Registration fee: Full price €750
The participation fee is unbreakable for participants, independently of the number of days they stay at the workshop. Invited speakers pay 150 Euro/day only for the days they stay at the Ettore Majorana Centre. The fee includes accommodation, all meals, transfer from/to the airport, extra activities (e.g., social dinner and excursion), and conference participation. Payments can be made via bank transfer or by credit card directly at the Ettore Majorana Centre. Flight is excluded.
Please note: For eligible participants, there is a limited number of grants/scholarships available, which will cover the workshop fee. Please formulate your request in the motivation letter and contact us via icopc25@kip.uni-heidelberg.de
The conference will be held at the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture
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Via Guarnotti, 26 - 91016 Erice (Sicily), Italy
+39-0923-869133
Closest international airport: Palermo (PMO)
A shuttle service will pick up participants upon arrival at the airport or the railway station.
A free wireless connection is available in various areas of the Majorana Centre.
Erice is about 800 m above sea level, on top of a mountain next to the sea. In Fall evenings, Erice may be chilly and, occasionally, foggy or/and windy. Do not forget to bring a good jacket. Bring good jogging shoes (to walk on the stones of the archaeological sites and the rough pavement of Erice streets). Participants need no formal dress at any event, including the banquet.
| Prof Dr. Wolfram Pernice | Prof. Dr. Antonio Calà Lesina | Prof. Dr. Birgit Stiller |
| University of Heidelberg | Hannover University | Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen |
| wolfram.pernice@kip.uni-heidelberg.de | antonio.calalesina@hot.uni-hannover.de | Birgit.stiller@mpl.mpg.de |
