With eye on space photonics Gooch & Housego buys Constelex Technology Enablers

Dec. 3, 2013

Ilminster, England--Gooch & Housego has completed the acquisition of Constelex Technology Enablers, a company that makes low-noise, high power, and custom optical fiber amplifiers and lasers.

Conard Holton

Ilminster, England--Gooch & Housego, a manufacturer of optical components and systems, has completed the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Constelex Technology Enablers (Athens, Greece), a company that makes low-noise, high power, and custom optical fiber amplifiers and lasers. Last February, Constelex announced its strategic decision to focus on aerospace and defense applications, fueled by R&D activities to develop a complete line of systems for harsh environments and space-qualified optical modules and subsystems.

Gooch & Housego says the acquisition is aligned with its strategic objective of moving up the value chain by leveraging its components to develop a higher-added-value capability at the subsystems and systems level. In February 2013 Gooch & Housego established the Systems Technology Group (STG) at its Torquay, England facility to function as a separate business unit to design, develop, and prototype systems-level products. The objective was to build a multi-disciplinary team with expertise in mechanical, electronic, and software design and modeling, and to integrate these technologies with the company’s expertise in photonics.

The acquisition is a significant expansion of the capabilities of the STG and should enable Gooch & Housego to make a contribution to the European Space Agency's Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) European Component Initiative. As a result, Gooch & Housego says is well positioned to fulfill its objective of becoming a global leader in space photonics, with design and manufacturing of space-qualified hardware in both the USA and EU.

About the Author

Conard Holton | Editor at Large

Conard Holton has 25 years of science and technology editing and writing experience. He was formerly a staff member and consultant for government agencies such as the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and engineering companies such as Bechtel. He joined Laser Focus World in 1997 as senior editor, becoming editor in chief of WDM Solutions, which he founded in 1999. In 2003 he joined Vision Systems Design as editor in chief, while continuing as contributing editor at Laser Focus World. Conard became editor in chief of Laser Focus World in August 2011, a role in which he served through August 2018. He then served as Editor at Large for Laser Focus World and Co-Chair of the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar from August 2018 through January 2022. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, with additional studies at the Colorado School of Mines and Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.