ORLANDO, FL—The Laser Institute of America (LIA), in cooperation with the Laser Processing Committee of China Optical Society and Tsinghua University (Beijing, People’s Republic of China), will host its first International Enterprise Summit on April 17th during PICALO 2008—the 3rd Pacific International Conference on Applications of Lasers and Optics (PICALO; www.laserinstitute.org/conferences/picalo)—running from April 16–18 in Beijing. “The PICALO 2008 International Enterprise Summit is a unique event offering an opportunity for chief executives from China, North America, and Europe to meet face to face and discuss the aims, opportunities, and problems in achieving growth in the global laser marketplace,” said Peter Baker, executive director of the LIA. “The Summit also offers attendees a chance to hear first hand from a very powerful roster of assembled speakers how different companies plan to compete and collaborate on a global scale. I’m excited about it and looking forward to attending the sessions,” added Baker.
Summit speakers include Valentin Gapontsev, IPG Photonics (Oxford, MA), Günther Braun, Rofin-Sinar Technologies (Hamburg, Germany), Robert Phillippy, Newport Corporation (Irvine, CA), John Ambroseo, Coherent (Santa Clara, CA), Sergio Edelstein, GSI Group (Wilmington, MA), Alan Lowe, JDS Uniphase (San Jose, CA), Dayong Min, Wuhan Huagong Laser (Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China), Jinwen Luo, Wuhan Huagong-Unity Laser (Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China), Rangda Wu, Chutianlaser (Wuhan City, Peoples Republic of China), and Xun Zhou, Zhejiang CHN-Laser Technology (Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China). Presentations cover industrial laser processing and fiber laser technologies in the context of how these technologies are best marketed on a global scale, as well as the details of how to foster international relationships and deal with mergers and acquisitions.
“The PICALO International Enterprise Summit gathers together for the first time, to my knowledge, the largest number of CEOs from major photonics and laser companies from both China and around the world to share their views and comments on the impact of globalization on the laser industry and especially on the Chinese market—the fastest-growing economy for the last decade or so,” said Bo Gu, senior principal scientist at GSI Group, Laser Systems Division, and one of two conference Chairs for the Summit. “The idea of having such a summit came about two years ago when I proposed it to Peter Baker and professor Minlin Zhong, the designated PICALO 2008 general conference Chair. “What surprised me was how easy it was to get these CEOs to come to China for this Summit,” continued Gu. “Their eagerness to know China and its market better, to share their views and experiences with others, and to have a chance to communicate face to face with other CEOs and their Chinese counterparts impressed me deeply.”
Gu emphasizes that no other forum provided by any major conference or exhibition specifically addresses the importance and significance of the PICALO International Enterprise Summit topic, especially at the CEO level. “Globalization and the Chinese market are the most important issues not just for the photonics and laser industry, but for almost all industries. Whether you like it or not, globalization is here and impacting everyone’s life. China—currently the second largest economy in the world—is playing a significant role in the world’s economic growth today,” said Gu. “In my opinion, any company who wants to have significant growth for the next decade will have to take China into their business planning and strategy. Failing to do so will give the competitive edge to the competition and some companies will miss the biggest growth opportunity for the next decade.”
—Gail Overton