Prestigious Distinction for Professor Ryszard Piramidowicz
Prof. Ryszard Piramidowicz
Professor Ryszard Piramidowicz from the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology at the Warsaw University of Technology has become a laureate of the prestigious Photonics100 distinction awarded by Electro Optics magazine. The award recognizes leaders who set the directions for the development of photonics – innovators, visionaries, and exceptional personalities in the modern photonics R&D world.
Ryszard Piramidowicz holds the position of University Professor at the Institute of Microelectronics and Optoelectronics of the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology, Warsaw University of Technology, where he heads the Division of Optoelectronics. His research interests encompass optical spectroscopy, laser technology, fibre-optic communication, and integrated photonics.
In his work, he combines research and teaching activities with close cooperation with industry – at VIGO Photonics S.A., he leads the HyperPIC development programme for mid-infrared photonic integrated circuits, the largest Polish project in the field of photonics. In 2022, together with his closest collaborators, he founded the WUT spin-off LightHouse sp. z o.o., the first Polish design house offering design and testing services for specialised integrated photonic circuits.
Prof. Ryszard Piramidowicz
From 1998–2003 and 2006–2010, he worked as a specialist and expert at the Research and Development Centre of Telekomunikacja Polska S.A. From 2008 to 2020, he served as Deputy Director for Research at the Institute of Microelectronics and Optoelectronics, from 2019 to 2022 as Director of Doctoral School No. 3 at the Warsaw University of Technology, and since October 2020 he has been serving as Head of the Division of Optoelectronics at the Institute of Microelectronics and Optoelectronics, WUT.
He is Chairman of the Polish Optoelectronics Committee of the Association of Polish Electrical Engineers, WUT representative in the National Smart Specialisation Working Group KIS9 – Electronics and Photonics, and in the European Technology Platform Photonics21. He is also a member of the Council of the Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics of the Łukasiewicz Research Network, the Programme Council of the Centre for Laser Technologies of Metals, and the Supervisory Board of the National Agency for the Promotion of Advanced Technologies S.A. He is a founding member and President of the Science Infrastructure Management Society, a founding member of the Microelectronics, Electronics and Photonics Cluster, and a member of the Optical Society of America (OSA, now OPTICA), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE).
Additionally, he holds an MBA degree from WUT and completed a postgraduate course in underwater archaeology at the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw. He is a CMAS P2 diver, underwater archaeologist, F3 fencing system practitioner, and also enjoys sailing and skiing.
“I perceive being among the laureates of Photonics100 as a tremendous honour and an appreciation of many years of activities for the Polish and European integrated photonics ecosystem, and in particular the work on the breakthrough project 'HyperPIC – Photonic Integrated Circuits for Mid-Infrared Applications' implemented by VIGO Photonics. I treat this distinction not only as a personal honour but, above all, as an expression of the highest recognition for the entire team involved in the conducted research and technological work. For all those individuals who often remain in the shadows, without whom this success would not have been possible. Using this opportunity, I would like to thank them most sincerely and ask for more. The real adventure is only beginning..." – says Prof. Ryszard Piramidowicz.
