This year's Photonics Festival in Taiwan will open Wednesday at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1, covering solar energy, LED, precision optics and other areas of photonics, according to the Photonics Industry and Technology Development Association, the event's organizer. Manufacturers from Taiwan and China are expected to use the show to establish connections for future business, the association said in a press statement issued Tuesday. With about 360 exhibitors and 800 booths, the show, which is in conjunction with Display Taiwan 2009, is expected to attract 35,000 visitors this year and to generate over NT$30 billion (US$914.6 million)-worth of business opportunities for the second half of this year. Business opportunities created by LEDs and solar energy are expected to further encourage buying, the organizers said, adding that with the continued pushing of LED applications, the momentum of the industry's growth is expected to recover when the economy bottoms out. The solar energy industry has not been affected by the global recession, with the output growth last year recording 60 percent and total output value reaching NT$106.1 billion. With manufacturers continuing to expand production and significantly increase capacity for the production of thin film panels, the growth rate is expected to reach 23 percent, according to the organizers. In addition, the output of the local photovoltaic system industry was around NT$500 million in 2008. With various photovoltaic plans in the works this year, investment in the photovoltaic plan by the Taiwan Power Company and the passage of the Renewable Energy Development Bill, the output growth rate is expected to reach 47 percent. Other featured exhibition areas include a 'cross-strait photonics show, ' with the organizers noting that the increasing cross-Taiwan Strait exchanges are influencing the future of industries. 