SPIE

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, is a professional organization dedicated to advancing light-based technologies. It originated in 1955 as the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers in the United States, and later adopted the name SPIE, with the acronym retained to reflect its broader scope in optics and photonics. The society is headquartered in Bellingham, Washington, and operates globally with members around the world.

Membership includes scientists, engineers, educators, and industry professionals from academia, government, and industry. Through its activities, SPIE supports research, education, and innovation in fields such as imaging, vision, optical engineering, lasers, biophotonics, and nanophotonics.

SPIE runs a program of conferences and exhibitions, including large, recurring events such as SPIE Photonics West in the United States and the Optics + Photonics series in other regions. These meetings combine technical papers, tutorials, and industrial exhibitions, and provide networking and business opportunities for researchers and companies.

In addition to conferences, SPIE publishes peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings, and maintains the SPIE Digital Library, an online repository for its publications. Notable journals include Optical Engineering and the Journal of Biomedical Optics. The organization also supports education through awards, scholarships, and fellowship programs, and fosters collaboration across academia, industry, and government.

SPIE is widely regarded as a leading professional society in the optics and photonics community, influencing research directions, standards, and practical applications of light-based technologies.