Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers

SPIE is an American not-for-profit specialized society for optics and photonics technology, founded in 1955. It categorizes technical conferences, trade exhibitions, and continuing education programs for researchers and developers in the light-based meadows of physics, including: optics, photonics, and imaging engineering. SPIE is most known for Photonics West, held in San Francisco.

The society announces peer-reviewed scientific journals, conference proceedings, monographs, tutorial texts, field guides, and situation volumes in print and online. In 2015, the society provided more than $5.2 million in sustenance of optics education and outreach programs around the world.

On July 1, 1955 SPIE was initiated as the Society of Photographic Instrumentation Engineers in California to specialize in the application of photographic instrumentation. In 1964 the society reformed its name to the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. In 1977 SPIE motivated its headquarters to Bellingham, Washington, and in 1981, to reflect a changing membership, the Society created doing business as (DBA) SPIE—The International Society for Optical Engineering. In 2007, the society ended its DBA, and is discussed to simply as "SPIE".

The mission of SPIE is to serve scientists and engineers in industry, academia, and government working in a wide variety of grounds that utilize some aspect of optics and photonics, the science and application of light.

Individuals convoluted with the society conduct research and apply new techniques to the enterprise and development of technologies such as semiconductor manufacturing, robotics, medical imaging, next-generation displays, battleground technologies, entertainment, biometric security, image processing, communications, astronomy, and much more. SPIE has members from everywhere the world, including North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, with central offices in North America and Europe.

SPIE Conferences and Exhibitions connect optical science and the optics industry. The society is connected with over 140 meetings and events each year.

The society's first publication, SPIE Newsletter, was launched in 1957. In 1959, the society distributed its first book, SPIE Photographic Instrumentation Catalog. The newsletter transformed into the society’s first journal, now known as Optical Engineering, SPIE’s flagship monthly journal. Throughout the years, SPIE has generated many publications including journals, magazines, newspapers, websites, and books.