The laser world is changing faster than ever, with acquisitions, pricing pressure, and increasing competition. Furthermore, the U.S. elections and the Brexit vote may foretell a different political climate, with uncertainty about exchange rates, and international trade and technology policies. How do we process all this information and understand the implications?
In our January issue, we will ask the question, “Where have all the lasers gone?” The article is our annual Market Review and Forecast, and some insights are previewed in a recent blog from our market analyst, Allen Nogee. In terms of raw numbers, 2016 was a good year, with more lasers sold and more revenue than ever, but the nature of those sales is changing and some of the laser makers are now part of an end-user ecosystem—for example, in the case of lidar makers, many have already moved into or been acquired by OEMs in the food chain of the automotive manufacturing industry.
Laser market data and much more analysis will be the focus of our 29th Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar (www.marketplaceseminar.com), to held January 30, in San Francisco during SPIE Photonics West. We’ll be probing the critical topics in lasers, including the adaptation of Industry 4.0 and additive manufacturing, the Chinese laser markets, the flow of investments in the industry, the growing number of directed energy defense programs, and opportunities for advanced laser diodes.
In addition, we’ll hear about trends in biophotonics and what tools biomedical scientists and engineers need to take advantage of opportunities in clinical research and healthcare. Our keynote will be a discussion between Coherent president and CEO John Ambroseo and myself that will probe many of the issues identified above. I hope to see you there.
