Peter O’Brien, director of the PIXAPP Photonics Packaging Pilot Line and head of the photonics packaging group at the Tyndall Institute, overviews the current state of integrated photonics technologies, as well as core considerations in the sector. Focus is given to packaging, heterogeneous integration, and dynamic collaboration. David McGovern, senior business development manager with the Irish Photonic Integration Centre (IPIC [Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Photonics]) and deputy chairperson of Medphab, joins the conversation to discuss the bridge between commercial and industry needs and high-level R&D.