7:15
Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:00
Welcome and Introduction
Kathy Bush
Group Publisher
Laser Focus World (Nashua, NH)
8:15
The Lasers and Photonics Marketplace
Stephen G. Anderson
Editor-in-Chief / Associate Publisher
Laser Focus World (Nashua, NH)
The global market review and forecast provides an overview of current worldwide laser markets, from the laser technologies to the applications driving revenue growth. The discussion includes estimates of current and projected global sales revenues by application, as well as the trends in those application sectors—at the macroeconomic level as well as the system and laser product levels.
8:55
World Markets for Industrial Lasers and Applications
David Belforte
Publisher / Editor-in-Chief
Industrial Laser Solutions (Nashua, NH)
Market reactions to economic factors in 2008 appear to support the forecast that was made in January. As a truly global market, industrial laser system revenues show such a diversity of industries and applications served that softness in one sector is offset but strength in another. These markets are reviewed and estimates for 2008 sales and a projection for results in 2009 are made.
At the mid-year measuring point results seemed to follow the pattern that was outlined in the January 2008 report where growth projections were for a low single digit rise. Marking with about half the lasers sold and metal cutting with about half the systems revenues remain strong and expectations are that the final report will parallel that projected earlier in the year.
9:35
BREAK
10:05
From The Frontline: Perspectives of the high-power diode laser market
Merrill Apter
Senior Director, Sales and Business Development
Newport Spectra-Physics (Mountain View, CA)
Over the last five years we have seen, within the diode laser industry, ongoing consolidation, yet the competition is fiercer than ever. The telecom bust has brought new technologies, ideas, concepts and market opportunities. These market opportunities are no longer niche, finesse or specialty applications, requiring extensive advanced development and R&D efforts. These new blossoming and exciting markets are reliant on low-cost manufacturing, high-volume production and flawless execution. We (meaning the collective diode laser industry) are up to the challenge!
10:45
Hot Markets: An update on the ultrafast and fiber laser markets
Dr. Tom Hausken
Director of Optoelectronic Components
Strategies Unlimited (Mountain View, CA)
The next big thing or just another overhyped technology? There has been a lot of talk in recent years about ultrafast lasers and fiber lasers. These technologies have been around for decades, but recent developments have brought new opportunities to laser suppliers, with each of these overlapping segments now accounting for more than $250 million in annual sales. However, suppliers of these products are also facing new challenges in these unique markets. This talk highlights the recent developments and opportunities in these market segments, as well as some of the key issues facing suppliers.
11:25
White-Light Supercontinuum Lasers: Technology, applications and markets
Dr. John Clowes
Director of Business Development
Fianium (Southampton, UK)
The advent of the white-light or supercontinuum laser is one of the most exciting events in applied physics for some time. Commercial development of this technology over recent years has been based on an all-fiber laser platform, which now enables low-cost and reliable systems necessary for industrial application. Delivering high brightness and tunable output at any wavelength in the visible and near infrared, the supercontinuum is both a replacement and enabling technology for existing and future applications. This talk describes the state-of-art in supercontinuum laser technology and highlights some of the many applications of these unique light sources within the bio-medical sector.
12:05
NETWORKING LUNCH
1:30
KEYNOTE: Emerging Photonics Opportunities: A perspective from Stanford's Photonics Research Center
Dr. Thomas M. Baer
Executive Director
Stanford Photonics Research Center
As we approach the 50th anniversary of the invention of the laser, the field of optoelectronics is in the midst of a second renaissance; new science, technology, and instruments: negative index metamaterials, photonic crystal fibers, optical combs, in vivo biophotonic imaging, high efficiency organic photovoltaic and LED devices are opening up large consumer markets. These advances frequently originate in university and government labs, requiring evolution by industry for a successful translation into useful products. Baer will discuss several examples of innovative photonic technology developed at Stanford University and explain the university's philosophy and procedures for efficient technology transfer of these inventions to commercial enterprise.
2:10
Opportunities for Low Lumen Projectors
Chris Chinnock
President
Insight Media (Norwalk CT)
Projectors with outputs of 10-150 lumens are being offered now. These projectors use LED sources and offer light levels an order of magnitude lower than conventional lamp based projectors. But, they are being offered to an entirely new consumer community for connection to or embedding within cell phones, smart phones, PMPs, notebooks and other convergence portable electronics. There is tremendous activity and excitement about this new class of projectors because the unit volumes could be very high with price points that that could be very attractive. There are a number of approaches for making these projectors and a lot of uncertainty in the acceptance of them. This presentation will describe the various approaches, the target applications, the issues with adoption and provide a high-level forecast based on several possible scenarios.
2:40
BREAK
3:10
Technology Forum: Green Photonics
Introduction and moderation by Michael S. Lebby, President & CEO, OIDA (Washington, DC)
From highly efficient solid-state lighting to clean manufacturing using laser processing, and from new low-power display and communications technologies to photovoltaic energy generation, the photonics industry will deliver "green" solutions that enable greater efficiency, smaller carbon footprints, and promote economic growth.
The Green Photonics Technology Forum brings together several industry experts to discuss the impact of the green revolution on the photonic industry and to highlight some of the opportunities in advanced lighting, photovoltaics and elsewhere.
3:20
Opportunities for Laser-Based Sensors in Environmental Monitoring
Eric Takeuchi
Director of Business Development
Daylight Solutions (Poway, CA)
Advances in compact, robust laser technology continue to seed new applications in environmental monitoring. These applications span a broad range of industries, including petrochemical and chemical manufacturing, atmospheric sciences, combustion monitoring, marine emissions and homeland security. In each of these arenas, laser-based instruments for molecular detection play a key role. Technology improvements in size, weight and power consumption along with embedded signal processing and the ability to detect multiple species with a single unit are enabling new applications in sensor networks. Several example technologies will be described, along with perspectives on future directions in sensor applications and market opportunities.
3:50
Prospects and Challenges for Solid-State Lighting
Dr. Robert V. Steele
Director, Optoelectronics Research
Strategies Unlimited (Mountain View, CA)
LEDs have penetrated a variety of niche lighting applications and are beginning to be used in several white-light applications that could be considered part of the general illumination market. The niche markets for colored, directional, and low light applications, such as exit lights and machine vision, are mature. Some penetration of the general lighting market is beginning (e.g., retail display, commercial and industrial, residential lighting), and LED-based flashlights have broken into the larger consumer markets. However, as LED performance improves and prices continue to decline, the range of addressable lighting applications will expand to include a wider array of general illumination applications. This presentation will address the market opportunities, as well as the challenges, for LEDs as they begin to penetrate the market for general illumination.
4:20
The Market for Laser-Based Processing of Solar Cells
Finlay Colville
Director of Marketing
Coherent (Santa Clara, CA)
Laser manufacturers and integrators are warming to the prospects offered by the solar industry where laser processing is exploited at various stages within both crystalline-Silicon and Thin-Film production. However, the adoption of lasers within solar production lines varies considerably: from one manufacturer to another, between the different cell architectures, and geographically. Consequently, the overall market for lasers is somewhat fragmented, despite high growth rates within specific applications / technologies / territories. This presentation summarizes the different applications for lasers within the solar industry, segments the market by cell-technology and laser-type, and forecasts growth rates within each of these.
4:50
Panel discussion/Wrap up
5:15
ADJOURN
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