Optics and Photonics Find Favor with Investors Again.

NASHUA, N.H. -- Venture capitalists and public investors alike are exhibiting renewed enthusiasm for the optics industry, according to John Dexheimer, partner at First Analysis Private Equity and president of LightWave Advisors.

The photonics investment climate will be discussed in detail by Dexheimer in his Keynote presentation at the annual Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar in January 2007 in San Jose, CA.

"Not only has 2006 seen a number of IPOs involving optics, laser, and related companies, but these companies are finding new and increasingly creative ways to drum up investors," said Dexheimer.

"We are seeing this in the laser industry and the optical telecom industry," he said.

A similarly optimistic note was struck in a report published this month by the Optoelectronics Industry Development Association (OIDA; Washington, D.C.). Revenues associated with optics and photonics products grew 20% in 2005 to reach $364 billion.

The driving force behind this increase continues to be the successful penetration of display-based products and technologies into both the consumer and computer markets, OIDA noted, with much of the growth in the components segment being driven by solar cells (24%), display modules (20%), and sources and detectors (10%).

"Telecom and datacom markets have strengthened in 2006, but the real excitement is that optoelectronics components are beginning to be utilized in high-volume consumer, entertainment, and computing-based products," said Dr. Michael Lebby, president and CEO of OIDA.

Lebby will also be speaking at the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar. During the World Markets Forum at the seminar, Lebby will be joined by Thomas P. Pearsall, General Secretary of the European Photonics Industry Consortium, and Dr. Henry Peng, from GE Global Research in Shanghai for a review of opportunities arising from market developments in North America, Europe, and China.

Other featured speakers include Dr. Holger SchlE-ter, VP and General Manager, TRUMPF Photonics, on high-power disk lasers; and Dr. Paul Rudy, VP, Quintessence Photonics on markets for high-brightness semiconductor lasers. Dr. Tom Hausken and Dr. Robert Steele (both of Strategies Unlimited in Mountain View, CA) will address the global markets for fiber lasers and diode lasers respectively.

Held in conjunction with Photonics West 2007, the Laser and Photonics Marketplace Seminar will take place on January 22, 2007 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, CA. Proceedings of the seminar including the market survey data will be available on CD-ROM after the event. For a complete agenda, session descriptions, and registration information visit www.marketplaceseminar.com.

About the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar: Based on the Laser Focus World Annual Review and Forecast of the Laser Marketplace and targeted at CEOs, CTOs, investors, analysts, marketing managers, and business managers at photonics manufacturers, the seminar provides the only comprehensive applications-oriented review of worldwide laser markets, coupled with discussions of key business and technology trends for the laser and optoelectronics markets. It is the only event anywhere in the world that focuses on the entire laser marketplace and presents quantitative data with analysis of market trends segmented by both applications and laser technology. The seminar covers recent developments in many photonic applications including medical lasers, biomedical optics, fiber and disk lasers, as well as semiconductor and materials processing. Visit www.marketplaceseminar.com for more information.

About Laser Focus World: A resource for engineers, researchers, scientists, and technical professionals Laser Focus World provides comprehensive global coverage of optoelectronics and photonics technologies, applications, and marketsCosee www.laserfocusworld.com.