The European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC) and the Consortium for On-Board Optics (COBO) have signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperative activities involving industry endorsement of standards and technology roadmaps. The partnership will encourage direct contact and cooperation between the consortiums and their members, including participating at events, writing joint articles, collaborating in information exchange and promotion, and developing advisory mandates with an aim to bring cooperation and, ultimately, support the development of an efficient and sustainable industry. COBO is composed of about 63 companies in the fields of telecommunications, semiconductors, IT, and software. This complements the interests of most of the 385 members of EPIC, which includes photonics fields such as lighting, photovoltaics, photonics integrated circuits, optical components, lasers, sensors, imaging, displays, and fiber optics. COBO is a membership-driven, mutual-benefit, nonprofit corporation that develops specifications for the use of embedded optical modules in the manufacturing of networking equipment (i.e., switches, servers). EPIC is a membership-led not-for-profit industry association that promotes the sustainable development of organizations working in the field of photonics. EPIC works closely with related industries, universities, and public authorities to build a more competitive photonics industrial sector, capable of both economic and technological growth in a highly competitive worldwide marketplace.