We have added a lunchtime speaker to the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar: John Dexheimer, president of LightWave Advisors. He has been gathering some unique data and insights on the rapid growth and changing opportunities associated with 3D printing and additive manufacturing. He has an investor’s perspective, but the implications of where the investments are flowing, how advanced materials are driving innovation, and the relationships among the players and technologies will be of great interest.
The full agenda and registration are available at: www.marketplaceseminar.com.
There are two panels at the Seminar this year, one focused on the industrial laser market, with system and end-user perspectives, and the other with executives from IPG Photonics, Newport Spectra-Physics, Nufern, and Rofin Sinar. There will also be speakers on biophotoncis, the laser market in China, and the oil and gas industry. Dr. Ursula Keller from ETH Zurich will give the keynote talk on the future of ultrafast lasers.
A few weeks ago, our colleague, Allen Nogee, the laser market analyst at Strategies Unlimited, posted a blog summing up 2014, and giving some idea of the in-depth presentation he will make at the Seminar. You can read it here: The 2014 Laser Market in Review
The good news is that total worldwide laser revenue grew 6.5% in 2014 to $9.2 billion, which is a quite strong gain overall, despite the fact that prices of many laser types continue to drop. You can also read much more market analysis in our January issue.
Conard Holton
Conard Holton has 25 years of science and technology editing and writing experience. He was formerly a staff member and consultant for government agencies such as the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and engineering companies such as Bechtel. He joined Laser Focus World in 1997 as senior editor, becoming editor in chief of WDM Solutions, which he founded in 1999. In 2003 he joined Vision Systems Design as editor in chief, while continuing as contributing editor at Laser Focus World. Conard became editor in chief of Laser Focus World in August 2011, a role in which he served through August 2018. He then served as Editor at Large for Laser Focus World and Co-Chair of the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar from August 2018 through January 2022. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, with additional studies at the Colorado School of Mines and Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.