Photonics21, the European Technology Platform during the European Union's 8th Research Framework Program Horizon2020, has revealed a high need for R&D staff in a survey conducted by Tematys. Around 100 photonics projects were initiated in Horizon2020 between 2014 and 2018. This results in a high demand for specialized scientists with skills in physics, chemistry, engineering and computer science. In the next three years, up to 3.500 new jobs in the field of photonics are to be created for research and development work. The companies and institutes are also looking for scientific staff to fill (post)doctoral positions. Around 1.500 jobs will be filled in large companies in the future, while small and medium-sized companies will be looking for almost 2.000 new employees in the next three years. The high demand for well-trained (natural) scientists illustrates the great importance of photonics, for example for markets such as personalized Health Care, Industry 4.0 and a Secure Digital Society.