care – for example, having a device in an ambulance that can do rapid analyses of blood and skin to monitor health. We also see a lot of applications for skin cancer screening. These kinds of devices are made by our OEM customers, and they are growing very quickly. The second field is what we call green-tech,


so the agriculture and food industry. Many applications we see nowadays are related to monitoring how fertiliser is applied to crops. Spectroscopy plays a very big role here. Finally, we have the clean-tech sector, which is the process industry – such as semiconductor, glass and coating industries, where online monitoring is the main driver for growth. So we see these three different markets as our biggest drivers for growth. It’s very widespread.


What are the biggest challenges facing the photonics industry? A major challenge is to find technically skilled people. We at Avantes are struggling with this, but many of my colleagues are also screaming out for skilled personnel. We are a very innovative industry, so we need people with a technical background. Nowadays, we train staff ourselves in our company, but we would like to have more educational opportunities for young people to learn about photonics. That’s very important for our industry to grow.


And, what we need is the basic skills. We


don’t need people as much who can write an app, but that can programme an electronics board at a low level. A lot of youngsters, when they think of programming, they think of making apps – but we need people who can write code in bits and bytes. I find that young people are looking for sexy jobs, but sometimes what is required is just hard engineering work.


How could this issue be improved? I think it comes down to education, so there needs to be, within Europe, a lot of educational programmes that support photonics. I think the EU is already aware of that – there is now more education focus in the field of photonics. It’s a similar case to the need for electronic engineers 20 years ago – now photonics engineers are very important. We see that a lot of applications are putting photonics on a chip (integrated photonics). However, if you want to build a chip with integrated photonics elements you need to study the core photonics principles first, and for this you need the right education. This is slowly coming, but it’s not fast enough to fulfil the current industry need. But overall, I think photonics has a great


future – I think all of us can be proud to contribute to a better world where people live longer, healthier lives and can protect the environment for future generations. EO


EXPERIENCE FLEXIBILITY


High Power ps Pulsed Lasers


sparking innovations that are society-changing. And the UK government does recognise


the importance of this. Over the five years to 2020, the government has committed to investing £270m in four quantum technology hubs. Incorporating Birmingham, Glasgow, Nottingham, Southampton, Strathclyde and Sussex Universities, the aim is to further quantum research to commercialise it for UK businesses to harness. The UK has always competed globally in science, but bridging the gap to industry and boosting the UK’s intellectual property and exports requires a joined-up strategy. The UK National Quantum Technology programme is a step in the right direction for the UK – but the key to keeping the UK and Europe on the map is to continue the investments into R&D. With quantum science expected to become a £100 billion industry, it’s vital that the UK acts


“With quantum science expected to become a £100 billion industry, it’s vital that the UK acts now in order to remain competitive”


www.electrooptics.com | @electrooptics


now in order to remain competitive. As we start to realise the potential of quantum technologies in solving global problems – from cybersecurity to climate change – the world’s biggest businesses are making heavy investments in photonics and quantum, and the talent and expertise creating these innovations. One trait of the US tech sector is the


proximity of technology hubs to world-class universities. MIT and Harvard, Stanford and CalTech; both Boston and San Francisco have universities with top tech specialisms on their doorsteps – and that’s no coincidence. The UK needs a cohesive industrial strategy


with the collaboration of universities and tech companies at its core in order to remain competitive in the quantum sphere. The collaboration of researchers and industry in this sphere will lead to huge leaps forward in both research and commercial applications. The consequences of businesses and


governments being unprepared for the quantum age are vast. The UK government needs to treat education and industry as one in order to achieve the growth and innovations that will keep the UK on the world stage when it comes to quantum. EO


VisIR/ VisUV


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