February 2, 2006, Washington, DC--The 2006 PhAST/Laser Focus World Innovation Awards Program, which honors the most timely, ground-breaking products in the field of laser science, is announcing a call for entrants. One winner and four honorable mentions will be chosen from the entries. The deadline for submission is Friday, March 17 at noon.

PhAST is collocated with the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) and the Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (QELS), two of the photonic industry's leading conferences covering basic and applied research breakthroughs. Laser Focus World is a monthly magazine for engineers, researchers, scientists, and technical professionals providing comprehensive global coverage of optoelectronics technologies, applications and markets.

The PhAST/Laser Focus World Innovation Award will be presented at the CLEO/QELS and PhAST Plenary Session on Monday, May 22, 2006. The winning company will also participate in the CLEO/QELS and PhAST press luncheon.

Potential submissions must meet several criteria and address questions related to the technology, including its impact on the industry, its functionality, life expectancy, level of innovation, and status of patents and trademarks.

For more information on the PhAST/Laser Focus World Innovation Award, visit www.phastconference.org/innovation/.