KATHY KINCADE,CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, AND STEPHEN G. ANDERSON, EDITOR IN CHIEF
The good news is that, after more than 40 years, sometimes hard to comprehend how per vasive lasers and the laser industry is beginning to mature—or optoelectronics have become in the consumer world. 1 In at least parts of it are. This is good news for fact, Michael Lebby, executive director of the Optoelec-several reasons, not least of which is the over- tronics Industry Development Association (OIDA; Wash-all stability that comes with an increasingly ington, D.C.) told attendees at the CS-MAX 2005 confer-diverse technology and applications base. Ma- ence in Palm Springs last fall that some of the strongest turity also brings a more mainstream profile—photonics has potential growth markets for optoelectronics are in con-entered the mass-market arena and is much less likely today sumer electronics: displays for handheld products, image to inspire the “gee whiz” reaction that it has garnered for so sensors for camera phones, and optical storage. long. The bad news is that company “There is no question that the is-sales and earnings grow more slowly in sue is about serving the consumer,” a mature industry, and growth oppor- said Fred Leonberger, an industry tunities are harder to come by. In ad- “Maturity is consultant and senior advisor at the dition, many of the markets served by MIT Center for Integrated Photon-laser manufacturers are also maturing, the capacity ics Systems (Cambridge, MA). “In which means their investment in this photonics, there are a lot of con-industry may have peaked. to endure sumer applications, and the biggest So calling the laser industry “mature” ones are associated with displays. In may actually be a bit, well, premature. uncertainty.” fiberoptics, the drivers right now are Truth is, growth opportunities for associated with providing broadband lasers and optoelectronics—especially access to the end user, which in turn in applications in which they function –John Huston Finley is driving innovation at the photon-as enabling technologies (see www.ics level. A lot of the progress made in laserfocusworld.com/articles/229672)— the telecom area is helping to enable appear to be wide open. In addition, innovation is by no progress in other areas, such as high-power fiber lasers for means on the decline. In fact, despite its decades-long his- marking and machining. These advances are enabling oth-tory, the laser and optoelectronics industry is still consid- er markets to adopt a good supply of products at a price-ered “early stage” in many circles—which is very good news, performance point that makes sense.” according to Samuel Kahan, senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Growing pains “While this industry is at the moment relatively small, it While this all paints an optimistic picture going forward, is on the cutting edge of many things,” he said. “Think of there are some downsides. Or maybe call them growing automobiles and airplanes in their infancy.” pains. For example, the bigger and more global this indus-Equating lasers and optoelectronics with automobiles and try becomes, and the more its products are deployed in airplanes? That’s heady stuff for an industry that has long consumer electronics, the more the laser business is affect-depended on the research community for its bread and but- ed by (and sometimes even dependent on) macroeconomic ter. But looking at recent application trends, Kahan may be factors such as interest rates, foreign exchange rates, trade right. As has been the case for the last few years, the biggest imbalances, oil prices, and consumer spending/saving. In market driver continues to be the consumer. Computers, addition, as the big public companies get bigger through cell phones, cameras, fiber-to-the-home, vision correction, mergers and acquisitions and gain the very spotlight they wrinkle removal, engraving, automobiles, home entertain- desire to further grow their businesses, the pressure to sat-ment, laser light shows . . . whether directly or indirectly, it is isfy stockholders also increases.
References:
http://www.laserfocusworld.com
Archives