Suzhou New District in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, held an investment explanation meeting in Beijing on April 18.

It was announced during the meeting that the 2023 China (Suzhou) World Photonics Development Conference will take place in SND on May 29.

Sponsored by the Suzhou Municipal Government and China Society for Optical Engineering, the conference will include a two-day exhibition, three industrial matchmaking activities, and five forums themed on optical chips and materials, optical manufacturing, optical communications, optical display, and photomedicine.

The photonics industry has been a major player of the 21st century. As the host city, Suzhou boasts a solid foundation for the photonics industry and rich innovation resources. The output value of the city's photonics industry has exceeded 360 billion yuan ($52.31 billion).

The meeting also saw the signing of agreements for 67 projects with a combined investment of 36 billion yuan and involving photonics, medical devices, biological medicine, integrated circuits, and intelligent manufacturing.

It was also announced that four construction projects, including a financial service base, laboratory, and national intangible cultural heritage exhibition center, will start soon, while three projects, including a talent base and public service platform, were inaugurated on the same day.