WASHINGTON – 30 October 2026 – Remigijus Šimašius, Mayor of Vilnius from 2015 to 2023, has been selected as Optica’s 2026 Advocate of Optics. This recognition celebrates public officials who demonstrate outstanding leadership and support for the advancement of light science and its applications.
Optica selected Šimašius for promoting Lithuania’s laser industry and raising its international visibility. As mayor, he helped strengthen Vilnius’s profile as a center for optics and photonics.
The recognition falls on the 60th anniversary year of Lithuania's laser sector. In 1966, Vilnius University physicists Juozas Vaitkus and Remigijus Baltramiejūnas built the country's first laser. Today more than 60 companies employ over 2,000 specialists, and 90 to 95 percent of production is exported to more than 80 countries.
“I am honored to receive this recognition from Optica,” said Šimašius. “Lithuania’s laser industry is one of the best examples of what happens when excellent science and ambitious companies grow together. As mayor, I wanted to make sure the world knew that this world-class industry calls Vilnius home, and to help build a city where scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs could develop new ideas and grow.”
Šimašius consistently promoted Lithuania’s laser industry as a strategic asset for Vilnius. Under his administration, Vilnius's 2021–2030 Strategic Development Plan identified lasers among the city's established industries and called for further development of its innovative business ecosystems. The municipal development agency, Go Vilnius, promoted laser technology as one of the capital’s principal growth sectors. In 2022, Go Vilnius launched Vilnius TechFusion, bringing together the city’s technology ecosystem under five headline sectors, including lasers. His tenure coincided with the continued expansion and internationalization of Lithuania’s laser industry.
During his tenure as mayor, he also championed the companies and researchers behind the industry. When Light Conversion opened a new research and production facility in 2018, Šimašius remarked, “We do not have a free economic zone because Vilnius is a free creative zone, and Light Conversion is one of the most prominent and successful examples of this.” Additionally, the Vilnius City Council also awarded official municipal patron status to Light Conversion and Ekspla in March 2020 for their support of the Vilnius University Foundation, highlighting the importance of private investment in science and talent. Šimašius’ administration also supported science education, including through a partnership with Vilnius University approved in 2019 to develop a STEAM Center with planned laboratories in physics, astrophysics and light technology.
“Lithuania's laser industry was built by its scientists and its companies, starting with the first laser at Vilnius University sixty years ago. As Mayor of Vilnius, Remigijus Šimašius worked to advance the laser community, and Optica is delighted to recognize him for this work as the 2026 Advocate of Optics,” said Optica CEO Elizabeth Nolan.
About the Advocate of Optics Recognition
The Optica Advocate of Optics is a recognition conferred by the Optica Public Affairs Council. The Council evaluates and selects an outstanding public official from around the globe who demonstrates exceptional leadership and support for the advancement of optics and photonics. Recipients are evaluated on criteria such as their enthusiasm for science and science policy, level of familiarity with optics and photonics, level of interaction with Optica and its members and a consistent record of supporting science, optics and photonics.