World of Photonics Portal - PRESS RELEASES

Munich, 10. June 2009. “LASER World of PHOTONICS will again provide a major boost to the entire international photonics industry in 2009. The trade fair has attracted 1,040 exhibitors and is still on a growth course in spite of the current economic recession”, said Klaus Dittrich, Managing Director of Messe München GmbH. LASER World of PHOTONICS will open its doors for four days on June 15, 2009. The world’s leading trade fair for optical technologies will present new and current applications and trends from industry and research up until June 18, 2009. This industry platform will provide important insights into the global market for optical technologies and will show the enormous potential of the key technology of photonics.

Along with the World of Photonics Congress, which is taking place from June 14 to 19, 2009, the world’s leading trade fair for optical technologies brings together the world leaders from the photonics industry every two years in Munich. Contrary to the general economic trend, LASER World of PHOTONICS is continuing on its growth course and expanding substantially: compared with LASER World of PHOTONICS 2007, the number of exhibitors has risen from 1,008 to 1,040. The number of exhibition halls has increased from three to four. The trade fair, together with the World of Photonics Congress, is therefore becoming increasingly more important as the world’s leading event for optical technologies. Over 57% of exhibitors come from abroad. The new country pavilions this year will include the Netherlands and Scotland for the first time. The size of the delegation from the USA is very stable despite the difficult economic situation while the number of exhibitors from China is continuing to rise. Messe München GmbH is expecting around 24,000 trade visitors from 80 countries.

Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Information Society and Media, will officially open LASER World of PHOTONICS and the World of Photonics Congress at 09.30 on Monday, June 15, 2009 in the Munich International Congress Center (ICM).

Key topics during LASER World of PHOTONICS 2009 and the World of Photonics Congress
LASER World of PHOTONICS will focus very closely on three key topics this year, i.e. biophotonics and life sciences, lasers in the photovoltaics manufacturing, and illumination. The World of Photonics Congress will also examine these topics during its conferences, for example Lasers in Manufacturing (LIM 2009) or the European Conferences on Biomedical Optics (ECBO 2009). The practical talks during the forums in the exhibition halls will also feature these topics, for example, as a link between the trade fair and Congress and as a bridge between science and industry.

A total of seven individual conferences organized by the leading companies and institutions in the field of optical technologies have been combined under the umbrella of the World of Photonics Congress. These conferences will cover the entire range of topics relating to this technology.

Trade fair highlight: CEO Round Table
One of the highlights of the trade fair will be the CEO Round Table at 10.30 on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at the Photonics Forum in Hall B2. The motto of the event this year is: “Optical Technologies – Bright Hopes in Times of Crisis”. The podium speakers are Dr. R. Ambroseo, President and CEO, Coherent; Benoit Bazire, CEO, Qioptiq SAS; Günther Braun, President and CEO, Rofin-Sinar Laser; Yunfeng Gao, President, Han's Laser Technology Co.; Stuart Schoenmann, CEO, CVI Melles Griot and Dr. Ulrich Simon, President and CEO, Carl Zeiss MicroImaging. The Round Table will be chaired by Prof. Dr. Gerd Litfin, President, German Physical Society.

“Light Insights” to provide different views of the photonics industry
The series of events entitled “Light Insights” will look at different aspects of optical technologies. For example, the trade fair is cooperating with the industry regarding student initiatives in the field of optical technologies and will again stage an event entitled “Lukas Forscherland” together with the VDI Technology Center and with the support of bayern photonics, the Bavarian Competence Network for Optical Technologies. In conjunction with experts, primary schoolchildren will be introduced to and learn about optical technologies in their own experiments. During talks and visits to exhibition stands, school students taking advanced physics courses will be able to find out what occupations are available in optical technologies and what tasks are performed by people working in this industry.

The Analysts’ Conference, which is being jointly organized by Spectaris (German Industrial Association for Optical, Medical and Mechatronical Technologies) and the German Stock Exchange, will examine the topic of financing and will be attended by stock market listed companies, financial analysts, investors and bank representatives.

The information stand of the “Photonics21” Technology Platform at the West Entrance will provide insights into European research and innovation policy. EU Commissioner Reding will present the “Photonics21 Student Innovation Award" during the opening ceremony of the trade fair and Congress. This Award is being donated by the members of the “Photonics21” Platform for outstanding industry-related research work in the area of “optical technologies” and is being presented for the first time. The “Photonics21” Platform currently numbers 1,200 companies and interest representatives of optical technologies from 49 countries.