The industry “summit meeting” for LASER World of PHOTONICS 2009 will be taking place from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on 16 June 2009 in the Photonics Forum (hall B2, booth 403). There, the discussion will focus on topics around the theme of “Optical Technologies – Bright Hopes in Times of Crisis.” Participating in this year’s panel will be six of the international photonics industry’s luminaries:

• Dr. John R. Ambroseo, President and CEO of Coherent, USA
• Benoit Bazire, CEO of Qioptiq SAS, France
• Günther Braun, CEO of Rofin-Sinar Laser GmbH
• Yunfeng Gao, President of Han's Laser Technology Co., Ltd
• Stuart Schoenmann, CEO of CVI Melles Griot and
  
• Dr. Ulrich Simon, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH

 
There is plenty to talk about. After all, the field of “optical technologies” has become a tremendously important sector of the global economy.
In Germany alone, this segment influences approximately 16 percent of production-related jobs. In fact, many industries have now become dependent on photonics as a crucial enabling technology – from electronics to mechanical engineering and all the way to medicine. The potential for employing optical technologies to achieve productivity gains in industrial manufacturing is still far from being fully exploited. And the fields of medical device technology and environmental technology won’t be able to solve their respective challenges without “light.”
 
In many areas of laser technology, Germany has advanced – partially with the aid of governmental subsidies – to become the world’s leading market (for example, at 2.5 billion euros, the German economy has a 40-percent share of the global market for the high-performance lasers used in materials processing). When it comes to the light of the future, the LED, Germany currently enjoys a 12-percent share of the global market, which is enough for second place in the international rankings. And particularly strong growth rates are anticipated for LEDs and OLEDs.
 
So come to the Photonics Forum (hall B2, booth 403) on 16 June 2009 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and hear what some of the experts have to say about how the optical technologies can shed light in the midst of a dark crisis. We’re looking forward to your visit!