|
OIDA's 2017 Hot List
The mood this year at Photonics West was as good as it gets without becoming overheated, and it correlates with revenue growth of U.S. companies. OIDA estimates that 2016 will finish up 7% over 2015 for U.S. optical components companies, compared with an approximately flat year for global photonics suppliers overall. So U.S. companies are doing better than optics and photonics companies overall.
It's a new year again, time to bring out OIDA's unscientifically-gathered random list of what's hot and what's not, not in any particular order.
- Very hot: talk about the global economic and political situation. The U.S. presidential election, border restrictions, Brexit, coming elections in Europe, sluggish recovery in important markets: everyone is wondering what will happen next. OIDA predicts that the impacts of these events will be less than expected in the short term, but uncertainty can, among other things, slow or divert purchases of capital equipment, which drives much of the optics and photonics industry, as well as cross-border travel and partnerships. See also the OIDA Market Updates and here.
- AR/VR and robotics and AI. It's an exciting time for these technologies, and they use a lot of optical sensing and imaging. Augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) is advancing in quality, although lagging sales suggests that the products are now in the so-called "valley of disillusionment phase of commercialization. Robots have been around for a long time, but autonomous ("self-driving") vehicles open up opportunities not possible before. A lot of that is thanks to advances in computing and artificial intelligence (AI), which now includes inductive machine learning approaches like Google Brain than earlier AI efforts that designed for logical solutions for every possible state.
- Export reform is not done. The U.S. government issued revised rules on ITAR Category XII in October, completing a process two years in the making. But wait! There was a Notice of Inquiry released in January with a 14 March deadline to provide comments. And, some are calling for more reform. Scroll down this newsletter for more details.
- Photoacoustic imaging. It's easy to get excited about this emerging technology. It fills an operating regime with greater resolution and speed than ultrasound, but greater depth than OCT. See the May 2016 OIDA Market Update.
- Consolidation and acquisitions. Consolidation is like the weather: everyone talks about it but no one does anything. Well, in 2016 Coherent did something, by acquiring Rofin-Sinar for nearly a billion dollars, making Coherent the #1 company in sales of laser sources. Apollo Management is acquiring a majority stake in Lumileds from Philips for $2B. Chinese investors are making a lot of acquisitions too, including Kuka, Omnivision, as well as the Chicago Stock Exchange, Club Med, and GE Appliances, to name a few. Some Chinese investments were nixed or withdrawn too, including Aixtron, Lumileds, Micron, and Starwood Hotels. See more here.
- Several new communications roadmaps. Last month, OIDA posted the ITRS 2.0 and PSMC roadmaps relevant to optical communications and integrated photonics. We will post the IPSR roadmap—a successor to the PSMC—after it is released early this month. The iNEMI roadmap, available to its members, also includes a section on optical interconnects. And more good news: the authors of these roadmaps are working together.
- Quantum is the new nano. You might think that "quantum" is old news, dating to the commercialization of the laser over 50 years ago, and even further back in electronics. But there is a lot of money going into things labelled "quantum," as in quantum sensors, quantum computing and quantum encrypted communication. We're evaluating the market opportunities, but for now, it's more business for scientific instrument vendors.
- Internet of Things—we're watching. What's not to love about the Internet of Things? It means more sensors, and more Internet traffic, which means more optical communications. The Nest thermostat is one such device, with optical components in it, connected to the Internet. Will the Internet of Things be good for photonics? Maybe, it's still early.
- Not hot—Google Fiber. There was a lot of publicity around the Google Fiber project, installing fiber in the "last mile" in selected cities in the U.S. It's not clear what was Google's main motivation, but Google is reconsidering its strategy, suspended some plans, and is considering wireless instead of fiber. See also the September OIDA newsletter.
Top
Update on Advocacy, Part 1 — We Need Your Help
It's a busy time for technology policy. There are outside "perturbations," like the U.S. presidential election and the Brexit, and there are ongoing efforts by OIDA, OSA, the NPI, and other collaborative efforts with partner organizations. We've had a lot of success and the new administration brings new opportunities to highlight the importance of optics and photonics to economic competitiveness and national security. But we need your help!
- Participate in Congressional Visits Day. With new members in the U.S. Congress and a change in the White House, OSA's U.S. members need to highlight optics and photonics to their legislators. OSA and its partners in the NPI and other societies continue to host an annual Congressional Visits Day (CVD), where volunteers from our community meet with members of Congress and staff to discuss issues important to our community. This is a great opportunity to educate your members of Congress about the impacts of optics and photonics and to establish a relationship with your Congressional offices.
OSA staff will schedule and coordinate your meetings and escort you to all of your meetings. Each participant will be placed on a team with other attendees from your region. Training on how to effectively get your message across to legislators will occur on 25 April, with visits to your Congressional representatives on 26 April. Please consider participating this year in this important program. Sign up to participate.
- Another twist in the U.S. export control regulations — 14 March deadline. On 13 January, the Departments of Commerce and State released a Notice of Inquiry in the Federal Register to seek public opinion on Category XII of the United States Munitions List (USML) and proposed changes to the Commerce Control List Category VI. OSA encourages you to take the time to review the NOI and evaluate the impact on your business. Comments are currently being accepted via the Federal Register (State and Commerce) and the deadline to submit yours is 14 March 2017.
The final rule on USML and CCL were released last October and went into effect on 31 December, 2016. This is a revision to those rules. The NOI is a pre-approved policy meaning that if not enough persuasive comments are received, the rules will stand as is. We strongly encourage you to review the NOI and analyze the impact on your current and future business. See also OSA's press release.
It was a long process to get to this point, beginning over two years ago. OSA Chief Scientist Dr. Gregory Quarles testified last February before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade to advocate for small businesses facing export regulation. His testimony is here.
Next month we will have Part 2 of this update with the highlights from our efforts in 2016. See also OIDA's analyses of the impact of Brexit and the U.S. presidential election on the optics and photonics community. See here for more information on technology policies important to our community. For questions, contact Tom Hausken or Laura Kolton.
Top
There is No market for Nanophotonics—Part 1
There is no market for nanophotonics. Yes, you read that correctly. But there is a market for the things that nanophotonics does. Therein lies the difference between a technology mindset and a market mindset.
Markets vs. disciplines. Nanophotonics—a subset of nanotechnology—is a scientific discipline, not a vertical market. Disciplines are "horizontal", as shown in the figure. University departments are organized around disciplines, as are technical conferences and journals. But end-users don't care about disciplines. The end-user only wants effective products at a good price.
 Nanophotonics is a set of disciplines, serving multiple vertical markets. Source: OIDA. |
A vertical market is the supply chain that delivers products to end-users. Trade shows and trade magazines are organized around vertical markets. Vertical markets draw from disciplines like material science or chemistry upward to the end user, like roots drawing nutrients from below. Each vertical market is also cross-pollinated by neighboring vertical markets. For example, fiber lasers were enabled in part by advances in high-power diode lasers. Optics engineers developed the ultraviolet lasers that enable microlithography tools. Those tools, in turn, pattern today's CMOS image sensors.
Nanophotonics must be novel and multi-disciplinary. Nanophotonics is not merely about nanometer-sized stuff. Nanophotonics is the novel and multidisciplinary use of nanoscale effects involving light; for example, by combining materials science, molecular biology, and photonics to make novel discoveries. This means bringing people together who frame problems differently, who may even use different terminology. They may not have attended the same technical meetings or published in the same technical journals, and may have had few incentives to do so.
Universities and government agencies can encourage the crossover by founding and funding multi-disciplinary centers, which like OSA create fora through multi-disciplinary conferences and journals. The U.S. government raised the profile of nanotechnology by launching the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) in 2000, an inter-agency program with cumulative funding so far of $24 billion.
So why estimate the market size? We've established that nanophotonics is a discipline, not a market. But people still want to know: what is the value of emerging technologies? How do we assign values? If it's so sketchy, why do we do it? We'll write about that in Part 2 of this article, in an upcoming newsletter.
A longer version of this article appeared in the January issue of OSA's Optics & Photonics News, here.
Top
Welcome New OIDA Member
| • |
 |
Top
Attend Executive Forum & Solve Your Network's Toughest Business Challenges while Increasing ROI
20 March 2017 at OFC in Los Angeles, CA, USA
Special Discounts Available Through 27 February
Hear C-Level speakers from major companies lead broad conversations on the state of the global industry, emerging trends and recommended courses of action for optical networking and communications companies. Attend Executive Forum and join industry leaders from top companies as key innovations are assessed and profitable business strategies are fully debated.
Panel Discussions:
- How Big is the Optical Access Opportunity?
- Trade-offs in Data Center Interconnect (DCI)
- Internet Content Providers Building Out Undersea Networks - What Does This Mean for Everyone Else?
- Short Reach Optics for Data Centers: The New Battleground for Technologies and Suppliers?
- Fireside Chat: Growth and Profitability in Optical Networking - Boom and Bust or Sustainable?
Everything your organization needs to stay on top is here — only at OIDA Executive Forum 2017! Register by 27 February for special discounts. Interested in becoming an Executive Forum Sponsor? Contact us today! oida@osa.org
Top
Learn New Roadmaps for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics
19 March 2017 OIDA Workshop - Held in Conjuction with OFC in Los Angeles, CA, USA
Register by 27 February and Save
Integrated photonics presents significant opportunities to develop compact and highly functional systems for a range of communication and sensor applications. However, it has unique manufacturing challenges which can limit its commercial exploitation. Attend this this workshop and get a deep look at the latest manufacturing trends for integrated photonics. The agenda features leading business leaders from across the integrated photonics market, delivering the very latest information to ensure your organization stays ahead of the game. Special savings are available to OIDA members through 27 February. Register now. Interested in becoming an OIDA Workshop Sponsor? Contact us today! oida@osa.org
 |
Check Out the Speaker Lineup Including Frank Levinson, General Partner, Phoenix Venture Partners, USA |
Top
National Academy of Engineering Awards
The National Academy of Engineering salutes leaders in engineering for their lifetime dedication to their field and their commitment to advancing the human condition through great engineering achievement and/or through innovation in engineering and technology education. The NAE dedicates more than $1 million annually to recognize these leaders and to bring better understanding of the importance of engineering and engineering education to society. Currently, the NAE presents five awards for engineering achievement and innovation. Learn more and submit your nomination by 1 April 2017.
Top
Colorado Photonics Industry Association (CPIA)'s Innovative Industries Internship Program
The Colorado Photonics Industry Association (CPIA) offers assistance to Colorado photonics/optics and electronic companies interested in establishing a qualified internship program and applying for reimbursement from Colorado's Innovative Industries internship program. The Innovative Industries Internship Program reimburses employers up to $5,000 per intern for at least 130 hours of on-the-job training over a maximum of six months. In order to qualify, employers must be operating in either advanced manufacturing, aerospace, bioscience, construction, electronics, energy and natural resources, engineering or information technology industries. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment will accept applications 1 January — 15 February. For more information, contact the CPIA Workforce Coordinator, Elizabeth Anderson (workforce@coloradophotonics.org) or view the video on the CPIA website.
Top
Advocate for Science — Participate in U.S. Congressional Visits
With a number of new members in the U.S. Congress and a change in the White House, OSA's U.S. members need to highlight optics and photonics to their legislators. OSA and its National Photonics Initiative (NPI) partners are participating in the annual Congressional Visits Day (CVD) taking place in Washington, D.C. on 25-26 April 2017. This is a great opportunity to educate your members of Congress about the impacts of optics and photonics and to establish a relationship with your Congressional offices.
OSA will be participating in visits to Capitol Hill to talk about the importance of R&D funding and other relevant legislation. OSA staff will schedule and coordinate your meetings and will escort you to all of your meetings. Each participant will be placed on a team with other attendees from your region. Training on how to effectively get your message across to legislators will occur on 25 April. On 26 April, visits to your Congressional representatives will occur. Sign up to participate.
Top
Attention OSA Fellows — Nominations Now Being Accepted for the 2018 Class of Fellows
OSA Members who have served with distinction in the advancement of optics and photonics may be proposed for election to the class of Fellow. Nominations are due 15 June 2017.
OSA added the "Business Leadership" category to provide a clearer path to recognize distinction in the business community. Fellow nominees are assessed in the context of their achievements and career path. View a list of recently inducted Fellows from industry. All current OSA Fellows are encouraged to submit a nomination and recognize their colleagues. More information is available from the OSA Awards Office (email awards@osa.org or telephone +1 202.416.1960.
Top
Submit an OSA Senior Member Designation Request
If you are a well-established professional within the optics and photonics industry, you are encouraged to request an OSA Senior Member designation in recognition of your experience and accomplishments. Senior Member Requests are due no later than 28 February 2017. Visit www.osa.org/seniormember to learn more.
Top
Quantel Laser: Bright Ideas Competition
Don't miss this opportunity to win $30,000 USD in laser equipment from Quantel Laser. Quantel Laser is partnering with OSAF to present a Request for Proposals (RFP) to the photonics community for any application which requires the use of a laser system within Quantel’s portfolio of products: http://www.quantel-laser.com/en/products.html.
We invite all academics and other professionals working in for-profit and non-profit organizations to submit a proposal. The submitted RFPs will be judged on originality, merit, feasibility by an independent panel of reviewers. Submissions are not limited to a specific field of study or type of business. Deadline for submissions is 1 March 2017 (17:00 EST). Learn more.
Top
Take Advantage of OFC's Public Relations Opportunities
- Engage on social media: Join us on social media today and stay in the loop on the latest conference updates, topics and trends. Follow us on Twitter @OFCConference (#OFC17), LinkedIn and YouTube. NEW: #OFCchat Twitter Chat starting in February — discussing topics relevant to the community and build connections between participants.
- Advance news sharing: Share your advance news and product launches through the First News program sent directly to media and analysts. First issue deadline is 14 February, final deadline 28 February. Contact Leah Wilkinson for more information on First News.
- Breakfast Briefings Program: Introduce your company to leading industry media and analysts through the OFC Breakfast Briefing program on Wednesday 22 March. A limited number of openings will be available. Contact ofc@wilkinson.associates for more information and reserve a slot.
- Free news release posting: Submit your news releases free of charge on the OFC website. Registered media are directed here prior to and during the show. Exhibitors also receive a discount on Business Wire's Tradeshow Circuit. Contact ofc@wilkinson.associates for more information on news release opportunities.
- Save the Date: Reception for Media/Analysts & Exhibitor PR/Marketing Professionals, Los Angeles Convention Center Convention Center, Room 308B, Tuesday, 21 March 2016, 17:00-18:30. Network directly with attending media and analysts!
To learn about additional PR opportunities, contact the OFC PR Team: media@ofcconference.org.
Top
Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC) Workshop on March, 22 at OFC
This year's OFC will feature the 4th workshop on Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC). The third workshop was held at OFC 2016 and had over 275 attendees and had a unique format consisting of sponsor presentations, then a networking break with catering plus a mini market fair, followed by several use case presentations. The 4th PIC workshop will have a large group of sponsor companies and will be held during OFC on Wednesday March 22, 2017 in Room 515A, at the Los Angeles Convention Center from 5:15pm to 8:15pm.
Driven by 100Gbps in long-haul as well as in datacenter applications, photonic integration is rapidly picking up momentum as it is becoming an indispensable part of those solutions. The purpose of the workshop is to create a one-stop-shop for everyone interested in photonic integration as it brings together all the key players offering solutions, whether foundries, simulation software, packaging, test & measurement, or turn-key solutions. A specific emphasis is on multi-project wafer shuttles (MPW) plus the accompanying Process Design Kits (PDK) as these provides important toolkits to reduce the cost for developing a new chip.
The workshop will provide the audience with a good overall picture of the state-of-art in PICs as well as how to take advantage of existing suppliers to save time and cost. The workshop is free of charge, but does require advance registration. Food and drinks will be provided, and there will be plenty of time to network with the sponsor companies. The workshop is organized by 7 Pennies and OSA Industry Development Associates and is sponsored by a consortium of over 15 PIC services providers covering the entire PIC value chain.
For more information and/or registration, please contact isobel@7pennies.com or go to www.7pennies.com/pic-workshop-2017
Top
New OFC Sponsorship Brochure Now Online. Will Your Company be Represented?
Going…going…gone? Not yet, but soon the "Sold Out" sign will be going up. Now is the time to reserve your exhibit and sponsorship at OFC 2017. OFC's Exhibit Hall is 99% sold! High-impact sponsorships are also available to amplify your sales. Become an OFC sponsor and reach 13,000 customers and 600 exhibitors. Let's work together to unlock a unique opportunity for your brand! Contact us today at sales@ofcconference.org to discuss your business objectives and we'll build a sponsorship package that will help you achieve your goals.
Top
OFC Career Zone — Start the New Year with a New Job or a New Hire
The OFC Career Zone is where job seekers and employers from all areas of optical communications connect. Check out OFC Career Zone Online and create your account today!
Be sure to also participate in our NEW! Onsite OFC Career Zone Live at OFC, Los Angeles Convention Center, 21-23 March 2017.
Questions: contact careercenter@ofcconference.org or +1.202.416.1942
Top
Register Now for Free Access to the OFC 2017 Exhibition
Meet your vendors at OFC 2017 Exhibition, 21-23 March, Los Angeles, CA.
With over 600 exhibitors, you can make a year's worth of connections in three days. Plus attend more than 15 programs on the show floor covering Intra- and Inter- Data Center Co6nnectivity, Infrastructure Makeover and Networking and SDN/NFV/Open Source. Hear experts from COBO, Ethernet Alliance, IEEE Cloud Computing, IEEE Big Data, MEF, OCP, OIF, ONF, OpenConfig and TIP. Register today for your Exhibits Pass Plus.
Top
Want to get even more insight and access to great discussions about optics and photonics?
Join 3,000 of your colleagues in our Optics & Photonics Industry Network LinkedIn Group. This one-of-a-kind Forum for Industry lets you participate in discussions about cutting-edge issues. Extend your professional network. Exchange information about problems, ideas and solutions. Collaborate with experts in your field. Now is the perfect time to build a relationship with fellow optics and photonics professionals!
Top
Take advantage of your OSA Industry Development Associates Member Benefits
We are committed to ensuring the value of your OSA Industry Development Associates Membership, so please email OSA if you have any suggestions for new programs or comments on your membership.
Not yet a member? Learn more about the benefits of membership.
Top
OSA Industry Development Associates Committee
Thank you to the volunteers who oversee the programs and services available to the Industry Community.
• Alex Fong,
Gooch & Housego, Chair
• Claudio Mazzali,
Corning, Inc., Chair-Elect
• Henrik Skov
Andersen,
Ibsen Photonics
• Simin Cai,
Go!Foton |
• John Dexheimer,
Lightwave Advisors
• Fred Leonberger,
EOvation
Technologies, LLC
• Mike Mielke,
Lumentum
• Martin Seifert |
• Costel Subran,
Opton Laser
International
• Christoph Harder,
Harder and Partner |
|
|
|
|
