INTERVIEW JOHN LINCOLN
PHOTONICS IN FOCUS: THE UK
‘People come to the UK because we have great ideas’: a personal view
John Lincoln has a unique perspective on the UK photonics sector. As Chief Executive of the country’s Photonics Leadership Group and consultancy firm Harlin, he knows the challenges the industry faces as well as its opportunities, and is determined to chart a course through the chaos of Westminster politics to drive investment and generate momentum. On the approach to Photonex – the country’s biggest photonics show – the 2023 Photonics100 honoree shares with EO’s Mark Elliott his thoughts on governments, growth, and where the market is going
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The photonics sector has delivered an impressive growth in productivity, says Lincoln
How would you describe the state of the UK photonics market? The markets are buoyant and strong. The industry came through the toughest of times with the Covid-19 pandemic and, in the latest numbers the Photonics Leadership Group (PLG) has released, we’ve seen good growth comparing 2020 to 2022 – a trying two-year period. Interestingly, what we have also seen particularly strongly is plenty of profit growth. Over that time of much higher profits is slower growth in employment and employment costs. People are being more efficient; doing more without adding the same level of headcount.
Why do you think that is? Staff have been harder to recruit, so companies have worked out how to get more from the people they have. That, in
10 Electro Optics October 2023
some ways, is healthy because what we have seen in the past two or three years is an industry that has been working on its efficiency. When we see the government telling everyone that what we need is higher productivity, it’s really pleasing to see the photonics sector delivering an increase in productivity over that same time. I think it’s a strong message.
This recruitment issue is a universal challenge, of course. Yes, across all technology sectors and all industry sectors, recruitment has become harder. Photonics is not being affected any more or less than other tech sectors – in some senses, less so due to its diversity and thus its ability to appeal to a wider range of people. Certainly, photonics is not suffering the problems that some market sectors are suffering.
www.electrooptics.com
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