Celebration of the "50th anniversary of the Laser" last year has brought the attention on how much laser light and photonics have changed and can further improve the quality of life. Photonics is one of the key enabling technologies, essential to face the "grand challenges" of our time. Indeed it can address and have a strong impact in many application fields such as ICT, healthcare, energy saving and efficiency, security, environmental monitoring, etc. The conference aims to bring scientists from all over the world to meet the Mediterranean Photonics community. The highlights of photonics will be presented and its role for a sustainable development will be discussed. Basic aspects related to advanced materials and technologies (organic materials, photonic crystals, metamaterials, nanoplasmonics, etc.) together with innovative optical components, devices and systems will show the future ahead of us. Students and young researchers will be given space to present their activity and to take the chance of discussing them with senior scientists. This topical meeting is organised in cooperation with the Tunisian Optical Society (Sociétè Tunisienne D'Optique) and follows the XII. Education and Training in Optics and Photonics Conference (ETOP 2011).