OPINION: BREXIT
What would Britain’s exit from the EU mean for the photonics industry?
Dr John Lincoln, from the UK’s Photonics Leadership Group, the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Photonics, and consultancy firm Harlin, gives his opinion on whether Britain should remain part of the European Union, and how this could impact photonics
P
hotonics is a truly global industry at all levels. In almost all areas of our industry –
in sales, markets, supply chains, sources of technology – photonics does not see borders. There are countless examples, from data storage to material processing, where a product starts life as a semiconductor wafer, or other high value component, that is fabricated in the UK, packaged in Asia, and integrated into a system in Germany, North America or even back in the UK. There are even more examples where those photonic systems are then deployed in manufacturing facilities throughout the globe, from semiconductor fabs and cutting-edge consumer electronics
factories, to giant automotive plants.
The first sales of many UK photonics companies are exported to Europe, USA or China. I like to say photonics companies are born global. Breaking the traditional mould of building local sales, expanding nationally, and then exporting, photonics products are created thinking of international customers at the outset, and retain this global view as they grow. Most UK photonics companies export 75 to 95 per cent of their output, compared to an average of just 34 per cent for the rest of UK manufacturing1
. This shows how
unusual photonics is; for many, it is what motivates us to get up in the morning, but it is apparent that the international viewpoint of
Graph showing photonics export contribution relative to the rest of UK manufacturing 10 ELECTRO OPTICS l JUNE 2016
what photonics takes for granted is not omnipresent in other sectors. This international trade in photonics is a natural and direct result of the enabling nature of photonics. Photonics makes the difference to so many products – from mobile phones to cars – and is valued by consumers, manufacturers and product developers across the globe, who seek out the very best photonics to put in, or assemble, their latest creations. To be the best, and compete on the global stage, consumer-facing companies need the best, and without the best photonics, those new products would not be competitive. Over the last 50 years, the globalisation of consumer products – and other key application areas such as healthcare equipment – has taken place, alongside the rise of
Since photonics thrives on a global market place and free trade, anything that hinders that free trade reduces the photonics market
photonics. Which caused which is no clearer than which came first, the chicken or the egg. The result, however, is clear: global end markets mean that the same – or very similar photonic products – are sold to multiple, competing or collaborating companies, for embedding in, or manufacturing, final products in multiple global locations, no matter their source location.
@electrooptics |
www.electrooptics.com
GrAl/
Shutterstock.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48