LFW Marketplace Seminar just over a week away
SAN JOSE, CA--As detailed in the January 1 issue of Optoelectronics Report, the Laser Focus World annual review and forecast of the laser markets predicts that 2009 global laser revenues will decline just over 11% from 2008 (see www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/349175). These and other findings will be discussed in depth at the annual Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar in San Jose, CA on Monday, January 26, 2009, which also features “The Greening of Photonics” Technology Forum.
Held in conjunction with SPIE’s Photonics West conference, the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar is a one-day event that analyzes the business of photonics. Now in its 21st year, the annual seminar provides photonics industry decision makers and stakeholders with market information and analysis, a look at emerging opportunities, and a forum for networking. The seminar provides market data segmented by applications and laser technology from three of the photonics industry’s leading resources: Laser Focus World, Industrial Laser Solutions, and Strategies Unlimited. For an agenda and details, visit www.marketplaceseminar.com.
“It’s a testament to the strength of the first two quarters of 2008 that the year will end up slightly ahead of 2007 or at worst, flat,” says Tom Hausken, analyst at Strategies Unlimited (Mountain View, CA), who led the quantitative evaluation of the laser markets, noting that 2008 revenues of $7.1 billion in sales represented 3.7% growth over the 2007 numbers. “Q4 2008 now looks like it will be off from the peak in Q2 by over 20%, but we won’t have a better picture until late February--almost two more months.” LFW chief editor Steve Anderson will open the seminar with his comprehensive overview of the laser markets entitled “The Lasers and Photonics Marketplace.”
Despite the financial picture, the long-term prospects for photonics are positive. Like everyone else, Laser Focus World is hopeful that the new administration will start to make good on its promises of promoting renewable energy come January, creating a green photonics revolution that will benefit the larger laser and photonics industry. “The Greening of Photonics” Technology Forum includes Monday afternoon presentations from Daylight Solutions (Poway, CA) on optical sensors for environmental monitoring, Strategies Unlimited (Mountain View, CA) on solid-state lighting prospects and challenges, and Coherent (Santa Clara, CA) on laser processing for solar cells.
--Gail Overton