Next Generation Photonic Crystal Fibers (NextGenPCF) is a research project funded by the Information Society Technologies (IST) programme of the European Commission's 6th Framework. NextGenPCF started on June, 2006 and is to run for 3 year.

NextGenPCF arises from the observation that progress and continuing technological development in many fields will depend on new ways of producing and guiding light, and mastering its interaction with the environment. Actors in health care require lasers at new wavelengths or broadband sources for diagnosis. Telecom players look for more flexible amplifiers, and for easy-to-install, low-cost fibres. The environmental sensor industry is searching for sensitive gas detector systems.

Photonic Crystal Fibre (PCF) technology has the potential to become an enabling optical component. Indeed, Photonic Crystal Fibres have re-defined what an optical fibre is and does, and dramatically enlarged the available design space. The contention of the partners is that the basic PCF designs are now defined and demonstrated, and that the turn toward material optimisation and industrialisation has to be negotiated.
NextGenPCF integrates the key European industrial and academic groups, from raw material developers to final users. It aims at being the incubator of key devices in three fields of applications that corresponds to three IST strategic fields:

     Biomedical: Raman laser for photodynamic therapy and wideband sources for cytology,

     Telecom: easy-to-install, low-cost fibre for fiber to the home, and Raman optical amplifiers,

     Sensors for environment: methane detection in mining and landfills.

The technological developments will be driven by these applications. The integration of all the actors in a coordinated development process is expected to create a virtuous circle of market growth linking end user, device, fibre and raw material, while spreading knowledge and avoiding redundancy. It will provide a key competitive advantage to European firms in the future.

The objective of NextGenPCF is to enhance the Europe excellence in PCF related science but above all to turn this excellence in science into technological excellence and key competitive advantages for the European firms. In that aim NextGenPCF integrate the key industrial and academic actors from raw material to final users. The technological developments carried out in the scope of NextGenPCF will be applications driven. It will insure a relevant return of investment for the project. The integration of the actors will avoid redundant work. Particularly the convergence of fibre specifications will be encouraged to limit the number of specific development. It will largely contribute to the cost competitiveness of the products.

About Information Society Technologies (IST)
The focus of IST in EU's sixth Framework Programe (FP6) is on the future generation of technologies in which computers and networks will be integrated into the everyday environment, rendering accessible a multitude of services and applications through easy-to-use human interfaces. This vision of “ambient intelligence” places the user, the individual, inclusive knowledge-based society for all.