The holidays are over and 2015 is "in the bag." In general, 2015 was a good one for the laser industry and 2016 also has potential, although there is some uncertainty because of global economic and social conditions.
A detailed review of 2015, as well as the 2016 forecast, can be found at the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar, to be held on Monday, February 15th, in conjunction with the SPIE Photonics West Conference. SPIE Photonics West will be held February 15-18 in San Francisco, CA, with the Biomedical Optics Symposium (BiOS) show occurring directly before on Saturday and Sunday, February 13th and 14th. This is the premier photonics conference in the US and, as usual, will be well attended. It will feature the three-day expo as well as a number of photonics-related courses, including my course, "Precision Laser MicroManufacturing" (Sunday, 1:30–5:30 p.m.; SC 689). These courses are a great opportunity to learn more about the photonics industry from "experts" in their respective fields. You can meet with representatives of Industrial Laser Solutions by visiting the PennWell/Laser Focus World booth (1641), or contacting editor-in-chief David Belforte or North American sales manager Allison O'Conner.
The week before SPIE Photonics West, another prime conference with a lot of laser activity is being held in Anaheim, CA—the yearly MDM West show. If you are attending this event, make sure to stop by the many laser companies that are exhibiting to see what is new.
There are many upcoming conferences to attend in 2016 and more will be reported as the year progresses. In particular, I would like to mention the LIA's LME conference held in Atlanta, GA, and also the AKL conference held in Aachen, Germany, and hosted by the AKL Laser Congress. Both David Belforte and I planned on attending both conferences and indeed we both had agendas at each, but since neither of us can attend both, we decided to split the responsibilities. I will be attending the conference in Germany while Dave does the Atlanta conference. I am giving a talk for Dave on April 27th entitled "Status Quo and Perspectives of the Laser Markets in the US and South America." Dave will be delivering a keynote address in Atlanta.
So, I really look forward to another great year in the laser industry, and to meeting old friends and new at upcoming venues.
I am always interested in hearing your thoughts concerning laser micromachining, the laser industry, comments on entrepreneurial endeavors, etc. AND … we are always looking for fresh, publishable material. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
Ron Schaeffer
Ron Schaeffer, Ph.D., is a blogger and contributing editor, and a member of the Laser Focus World Editorial Advisory Board. He is an industry expert in the field of laser micromachining and was formerly Chief Executive Officer of PhotoMachining, Inc. He has been involved in laser manufacturing and materials processing for over 25 years, working in and starting small companies. He is an advisor and past member of the Board of Directors of the Laser Institute of America. He has a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Lehigh University and did graduate work at the University of Paris. His book, Fundamentals of Laser Micromachining, is available from CRC Press.