Photonics Society of Poland (PSP) - Polskie Stowarzyszenie Fotoniczne was transformed from the SPIE Poland Chapter on October 18, 2007 during the Extraordinary General Meeting of the SPIE Poland Chapter members. All the members unanimously voted (103 out of 199 SPIE PL members) for transformation of the SPIE Poland Chapter to Photonics Society of Poland. The similar unanimous decision was confirmed by the General Members Meeting on February 25, 2008. The whole registration process of the Photonics Society of Poland was finished in March 2008 by official approval of the National Registration Court in Warsaw. 

The reaction of SPIE Headquarters was straightforward and enthusiastic:

“I wish you a very successful meeting later this week and assure you of an ongoing close and supportive relationship with the new Photonics Society of Poland. SPIE’s leadership recognizes and greatly appreciates the wonderful work done by the chapter members in Poland and I know there is sadness in a way at losing our model chapter, but we believe that this step is the fullest recognition of what the chapter there has done. We wish all our chapters had developed in a way to take a similar step”. (Eugene Arthurs)

Photonics Society of Poland (PSP) is presently with its 215 members (as of February 25, 2008) the largest and the most powerful optics/optoelectronics/photonics organization in Poland. It has already started integration and consolidations activities with Committee of Electronics and Telecommunication/Polish Academy of Sciences (Prof. T.R. Wolinski chairs also its Optoelectronics Section) and with Committee of Optoelectronics/ Society of Polish Electrical Engineers.

The official opening ceremony of the Photonics Society of Poland will take place on May 31, 2008 during First Symposium of PSP.