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Navigating the Exploding Role of Optics in Sensing
OIDA has been asked many times to estimate the size of the optical sensors market and to identify the fastest growing sensor markets. We did that in San Jose on 14 May with an Executive Forum featuring a great program of speakers addressing optical sensors. The market is certainly big: OIDA estimates the optical sensor component market at about $24 billion, and the subsystem market is substantially more, at about $111 billion. "Going vertical" by integrating into the subsystem or OEM market is often the most lucrative strategy. But these aggregate estimates are so large and heterogeneous as to be unhelpful. People want to know, what are the exciting opportunities?
 Source: OIDA (2017), from IMF (2016), Lucintel (2017), IndustryArc (2016) |
The Gartner Hype Cycle curve is often used to illustrate today's emerging technologies. The chart purports to present a map of technologies according to the expectations attached to them. For example, the 2017 chart shown here shows 5G wireless technology rising in expectations, while autonomous vehicles have just peaked in expectations, and virtual reality (VR) has bottomed out and is on its way to actual productivity amid more realistic expectations. The color and shape of the markers indicate the years to mainstream adoption, with most of them between 2 and10 years away, and some of them more than 10 years away. All of them are expected to make it to the plateau; none become obsolete first.
 Source: Gartner Group (July 2017), here. |
The primary flaw with the Gartner Hype Cycle is that many people may misunderstand it to be a sort of technology determinism, while it is really a reflection of human behavior. The curve is essentially a graphic representation of Roy Amara's observation that "we tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run." This rule, known as Amara's Law, is often true, but there is no reason to believe that it applies to a specific technology. Some technologies may quietly fast-track to the plateau. Others may be stuck forever in the trough of disillusionment. To use another observation, "past performance is not necessarily indicative of future behavior," particularly when it comes to human behavior.
The real opportunities were discussed at the OIDA Executive Forum on the Exploding Role of Optics in Sensing, 14 May at the Hilton San Jose, collocated with CLEO. The program included a long list of high profile investors and customers of optical sensors. Look for highlights in upcoming issues of the OIDA Newsletter.
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The Expanding $500M Medical Holography Market
Medical holography is one of those things that sounds really cool. Moreover, it is a market estimated at about $500 million today, with potential to grow to between $3.5 billion and $4 billion by 2025, according to forecasts presented earlier this year in the OIDA Market Update.
Medical imaging giants Philips and Siemens Healthineers are in the medical holographic imaging market, with Philips collaborating with RealView Imaging and Siemens working with Holoxica. There are also several other startup companies in the market.
RealView promises a system that looks fantastic in their promotional video (see here), but understanding how the product works can be challenging based only on the marketing materials. Do these holographic systems capture phase information, like true holograms? Or is "holographic imaging" fancy marketing lingo for 3D visualization? More importantly, with continuing advances in artificial intelligence (AI), will 3D rendition add enough value? If software can assemble a 3D image for a physician, perhaps it could make the diagnosis too? Or perhaps they are both needed: the diagnosis and the visualization.
For more information on the medical holography market, see the January issue of the OIDA Market Update.
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Update on Advocacy for Optics and Photonics
The Optical Society continues to be busy advocating for optics and photonics, at the local, national, and international levels. Here are some highlights of the last several months, featuring OSA's work with other organizations to strengthen our voices to the policymakers and the public.
Public awareness. On 16 May, OSA celebrated the International Day of Light at CLEO in San Jose, at ARTECHOUSE in Washington DC, at UNESCO in Paris, and at OSA student chapters around the world. The celebration is an annual follow-up to the 2015 International Year of Light. OSA is a founding member of the International Day of Light steering committee. OSA again hosted an open house and sponsored a teach-in table for the March for Science on 14 April, in Washington DC. There were about 10,000 marchers for the full-day event. And, OSA participated again in the biennial USA Science and Engineering Festival, which brought 370,000 people to the events in Washington DC on 7-8 April. See more about OSA's involvement in these events here, here, and here.
U.S. congressional visits. The Optical Society, along with its National Photonics Initiative (NPI) partners, co-hosted the 2018 Capitol Hill Day in Washington DC on 24-25 April. This was an important opportunity for U.S. members to advocate for optics-related issues before congressional members and staff. The NPI advocated for strong investments in research and development funding, the National Quantum Initiative, and workforce development.
 NPI Steering Committee Chair Ed White and
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) at Capitol Hill Day 2018. |
Invite your local congressperson. Another great way to have an impact is to invite your local member of Congress to visit your company's facility. These visits are important since they give members of Congress a tangible sense of the issues and jobs surrounding optics manufacturing and employment today. For example, last September Representative Martha McSally (R-AZ) visited the facilities of Edmund Optics and in February of this year, Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) visited the University of Oregon's Center for Optical, Molecular, and Quantum Science. Members of Congress are often in their home districts during Congressional District Work Periods and during the summer recess and are looking for opportunities for visibility in their districts. Upcoming District Work Periods include the week of Memorial Day, the week of 4 July, and the entire month of August. The Optical Society will work with you throughout the process and will make it easy for you. If would like to visit a congressional office or would like to host a member of Congress at your company's facility, please contact Brandy Dillingham.
Multi-society coalitions. OSA has signed onto many multi-society letters of interest addressed to policymakers and has supported testimony to Congress. These coordinated efforts, which are often directed "behind the scenes," have a louder voice than that of any one society or trade association. Some of OSA's statements and the multisociety letters that The Optical Society has signed within the last six months include: an OSA letter to Congress supporting funding for the University of Rochester Lab for Laser Energetics (20 March 2018), an OSA statement on the FY 2019 budget proposal (12 February 2018), a multisociety letter requesting the use of science-based decision making in policies and accurate communication of scientific information (19 December 2017), and a multisociety letter expressing concerns with proposed tax provisions repealing certain benefits for graduate students (7 November 2017). The tax bill signed into law on 22 December did not repeal the graduate student tax benefits. OSA is also a partner in Science Counts, and its effort to gather data to develop public engagement strategies directed at science.
And that's not all! See also our updates in past issues of the OIDA newsletter, including the Photonics21 annual meeting, comments on the solar tariffs, other activities of the NPI, and more. For more information on our advocacy efforts, and how to get involved, see here or contact Brandy Dillingham.
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How to Use Diversity to Improve Business Performance
Awareness of the business case for inclusion and diversity is on the rise, but up to now it hasn't necessarily been clear how to take action. The consultancy McKinsey & Co. has a new report, Delivering Through Diversity, that identifies correlations between diversity and business performance, and lists four steps to craft better inclusion strategies for a competitive edge from top management down.
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McKinsey reported on the importance of diversity in a 2015 report, Why Diversity Matters. In that report, McKinsey gave five ways that diversity contributes to company performance:
- Winning the war for talent
- Improving the quality of decision making—reduce cognitive bias and groupthink
- Increasing innovation and customer insight—broaden experience
- Increasing employee satisfaction
- Improving company global image and license to operate
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McKinsey has found that the initial impetus to diversity efforts has been mostly to address social justice, legal compliance, and so on, and followed up in the new report to illustrate how to take action to impact business performance as well. For more information on McKinsey's diversity reports, see here.
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Welcome New OIDA (OSA Industry Development Associates) Member
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OSA Frontiers in Optics + APS Laser Science
FiO + LS is organized around four themes that leverage the intersection between science and applications. The themes are presented as a series of workshops within the conference. This month, we introduce programming on automotive optics—emphasizing sensing technologies for driverless vehicles.
Key questions to be addressed are:
- What are the enabling technologies that have the most promise?
- Which are the problems that optics and photonics can have the greatest impact on?
- What are the bottlenecks or "showstoppers" among photonics technologies today, and potential solutions?
- What is needed from the photonics industry?
Who should attend?
- OEMs and system vendors seeking to meet interested component suppliers, talented researchers, and government customers and policymakers
- Business development and research staff from optics suppliers seeking new business opportunities
- Private and corporate investors
In addition to an invited program of speakers, a keynote will be presented by Jan-Erik Kallhammer, Autoliv Development AB, Sweden. Sessions and panel discussions focusing on optical technologies for autonomous vehicles complete the program.
Registration is now open!
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Exhibit at FiO to Connect with Customers, Educate Your Team and Grow Your Business!
Science & Industry Showcase, FiO's Enhanced Exhibition: 18-19 September, Washington, D.C., USA
The 2018 OSA Frontiers in Optics + Laser Science APS/DLS conference is offering special exhibit discounts to OIDA Members.
This year's event is expecting over 1,200 attendees, and will be focused on 4 key rapidly evolving and expanding markets: Automotive, Nanophotonics and Plasmonics, Quantum Technologies, and Virtual Reality and Augmented Vision.
The exhibitor prospectus is now available. Download it now to learn more about the event and how your company can benefit from exhibiting. |
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Call for Nominations — Paul F. Forman Team Engineering Excellence Award
Nominations for the Paul F. Forman Team Engineering Excellence Award are due 10 July. This is a great opportunity to showcase the value and importance of your engineer team! The award recognizes technical achievements such as product engineering, process and software development, and patent development, as well as contributions to society such as engineering education, publication and management, and furthering public appreciation of optical engineering.
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Share Your Skills: Submit an Engineering and Laboratory Note Today!
Engineering and Laboratory Notes (E&L Notes), from OSA's journal for applications-centered research, Applied Optics, highlight laboratory techniques and hands-on skills technicians and specialists can utilize for the design, analysis, fabrication, integration, alignment, and measurement of optical components and systems.
E&L Notes offer engineers and specialists a prominent venue to publish observations from their engineering notebook.
Why Should You Publish An E&L Note in Applied Optics?
- To develop new business opportunities for your company
- To promote your company's new innovations by publishing its patent approvals and applications
- To gain recognition for your company and attract new customers
- To accelerate your career by having your article widely distributed through a high-quality journal that is well respected in the field
- To provide tips, best practices, and techniques to colleagues in industry and academia
Want to learn more about E&L Notes? Read the full description of this feature or view the library of published E&L Notes.
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Invitation to Join the Optics and Photonics Industry LinkedIn Group
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!
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Take advantage of your OIDA (OSA Industry Development Associates) Member Benefits
We are committed to ensuring the value of your OSA Industry Development Associates Membership, so please email OIDA if you have any suggestions for new programs or comments on your membership.
Forward this message to your colleagues.
Not yet a member? Learn more about the benefits of membership.
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OIDA (OSA Industry Development Associates) Council
Thank you to the volunteers who oversee the programs and services available to the Industry Community.
• Claudio Mazzali,
Corning, Inc., Chair
• Alex Fong,
TruTag Technologies, Inc.,
Past Chair
• John Dexheimer,
Lightwave Advisors |
• Amy Eskilson,
Inrad Optics
• Christoph Harder,
Harder and Partner
• Fred Leonberger,
EOvation
Technologies, LLC |
• Inge Kabert,
Thorlabs
• Martin Seifert
• Debbie Wilson,
Lumentum |
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Source: Various market research reports cited in 
