This prize has been created to pay tribute to Jean Jerphagnon, who passed away in 2005. It is aimed at fostering technological innovation and optics-photonics dissemination in all areas of application: biotechnologies and health, energy and the environment, defense and security, fixed and mobile telecommunications, metrology and instrumentation, etc.
In keeping with Jean Jerphagnon's philosophy, this prize will be awarded every year to a researcher, entrepreneur or engineer whose innovative project boasts a major scientific value or a high potential in terms of industrial development. This project must also incorporate an optics or photonics aspect and be a milestone in the winner's career. The prize's objective is to support and foster trailblazing approaches, in line with the career path of Jean Jerphagnon, one of the pioneers and a major player in fiber-optic communications.
The prize-winner will be granted €10,000 and advised by the Jean Jerphagnon Prize's Organization Committee on the implementation of his/her project.
The panel is comprised of prominent figures from both scientific and business innovation worlds, and is chaired for 2008 by Emmanuel Desurvire, Head of Thales' Physics Research Activities.
The first prize will be awarded on 9 December 2008 at the Collège de France, and will round off the celebration day of the SEE's (Société de l'Electricité, de l'Electronique et des Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication) 125th anniversary.
For further information on the prize, conditions of participation and application form, please visit the following website: www.prixjeanjerphagnon.org.