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In Memoriam Jan Melles 1940-2024

16 February 2024 - Jan Melles started his career in the Dutch Army Intelligence branch after receiving his BS in electrical Engineering. In the early sixties he moved to California with his wife Jennifer to make their American Dream come true. In Santa Anna, CA Jan Melles met Dick Griot, with whom he started Melles Griot in 1969 as a distribution company for optical products. The sales and marketing strategy was to offer a complete range of optical and opto-mechanical components for the R&D and OEM markets, promoted through a professionally written catalogue that contained exact product data and background engineering data. Under Jan’s leadership Melles Griot quickly became known for its complete catalogue for optical products, also referred to as “the Photonics Bible”, that was distributed all over the world. In 1973 Jan Melles opened the companies European Distribution Centre in the Netherlands to expand the business to Europe and the ROW. When Opening local offices in the different European Countries Jan looked for entrepreneurial local General Managers, who would be able to earn a share in the local companies. In 1979 Melles Griot started to manufacture their own products, as Jan was convinced that being a Distributor was always a catch-22. If you overperformed the supplier would start it’s own subsidiary and if you didn’t reach your targets, you would be kicked out. In 1988 Jan and Dick decided to sell Melles Griot to Barloworld Ltd, and Jan stayed on-board as CEO for a few more years. As Jan was not the person to retire, in 1991 Jan founded his own Photonics Investments BV in the Netherlands and invested in and Co-founded small startups in the Photonics Industry worldwide. Jan also served on the board of a number of Photonics companies, such as Excel Technologies, Nynomic AG, Gooch and Housego and Access Laser. Jan was a great entrepreneur and mentor for the CEO’s of many of these startups, in my own experience for Avantes, where he was Co-founder. His advise would always be to focus on the customer and be market driven, instead of a technology push, which was the strategy of most tech entrepreneurs. Partnerships should always be such, that you keep your decisive freedom on how to expand your business. Jan was a great example of a focused entrepreneur, who would always believe in success. Jan will be missed and remembered as a true icon of the Photonics Industry.

NWO awards millions for three key technologies developed by the University of Twente

10 January 2024 - The Dutch Research Council NWO is awarding over 9.4 million euros to nine innovative research projects on emerging key technologies. These are technologies that show promise in academia and also have great potential for application. The University of Twente has done very well with their applications, as three of the nine main applicants are UT professors. These are Sonia Garcia Blanco, Severine le Gac, and Wilfred van der Wiel, who are all connected to the research institute MESA+. According to NWO, the pioneering projects will enable those public and private partners to take the next step towards development. Consortium partners will be submitting over EUR 1.3 million in co-financing.
Read the complete press release here

SPIE announces its 2024 Fellows for Photonics achievement

4 January 2024 -This year, SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics, is welcoming 47 Members as new Fellows of the Society. They join their Fellow Member colleagues in being honored for their technical achievements, as well as for their service to the optics and photonics community and to SPIE. Including ASML Director of System Engineering Jan Van Schoot and ASML Research EUV Program Manager Mark A. van de Kerkhof; Fellows are Members of the Society who have made significant scientific and technical contributions in the multidisciplinary fields of optics, photonics, and imaging. Since the Society’s inception in 1955, nearly 1,800 SPIE Members have become Fellows. This year's inductees represent high-profile academic, industry, and government leaders.
Read the complete press release here

Holland High Tech has released the Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Roadmap for the years 2024 to 2027

14 December 2023 - Semiconductors (computer chips, microchips, chips, ...) are crucial for the digital world. They make our smartphones, cars, medical equipment and many other everyday devices possible. The demand is only increasing. For example, due to the arrival of 5G internet, more demand for data storage, more and new functionalities and the connectivity of all kinds of devices. The challenge is also to make chips smaller, more powerful and more efficient. This requires innovation of production equipment and technology of advanced integrated circuits: miniaturization of components, heterogeneous integration of chips and substrates, manufacturing and assembly techniques.
Read the complete press release here

Photonics21 - Innovation Award

The Photonics21 Innovation Award is a competition for business ideas at an early stage. It can be a simple thought, an idea you cannot get out of your head or an idea that you have been working with for a while. Photonics21 aims to support talented makers, students, and young entrepreneurs who have a real interest in developing an idea into a product by combining creativity with photonics. To make this support possible, Photonics21 teams up with PhotonHub, the pan-European digital innovation hub for photonics.
Read the complete press release here

The business community, knowledge sector and government commit to joint innovation efforts

02 November 2023 - The joint effort within the government's so-called mission-driven innovation policy amounts to €5.7 billion annually. The business community, knowledge institutions, governments, and other (social) organizations have agreed on this today. Minister Micky Adriaansens (Economic Affairs and Climate) signed the KIC today during the Innovation Expo 2023 in Rotterdam with more than 30 partners.
Read the complete press release here

MantiSpectra Secures €4 Million in seed investment funding

25 September 2023 - The Eindhoven-based deep-tech company MantiSpectra, a Spinoff of the Eindhoven University of Technology, has successfully secured €4 million funding to support its mission to revolutionize how we ‘see’ the world around us by enabling the adoption of near-infrared spectroscopy everywhere. Innovation Industries and PhotonVentures led the funding round. Together with the support from the PhotonDelta National Growth Fund programme, this capital injection will further drive MantiSpectra towards global commercialization and widespread adoption of its breakthrough spectral sensing platform
Read the complete press release here

2023 Roadmap: Charting a Course for the Future in Response to Global Changes

20 September 2023 - In a groundbreaking collaborative effort, PhotonicsNL has joined forces with Optics Netherlands, PhotonDelta, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency to unveil the highly anticipated Photonics Roadmap 2023. The updated Roadmap Photonics, which was presented to Jeroen Heijs, deputy director of the Innovation and Knowledge Directorate, during the DutchPhotonicsEvent, is a significant step forward for the Photonics industry in the Netherlands and beyond. The Roadmap Photonics outlines a strategic vision for developing and advancing Photonics technology in the coming years. Photonics, the science and technology of generating, controlling, and detecting photons, has gained immense importance in a wide range of industries, including telecommunications, healthcare, and manufacturing. The Photonics Roadmap 2023 aims to chart a clear course for this field's continued growth and innovation. The collaborative effort underscores the commitment of PhotonicsNL, Optics Netherlands, PhotonDelta, NWO, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, and a very dedicated writing team from the Dutch Photonics industry, to foster a thriving Photonics ecosystem in the Netherlands. Launching the Photonics Roadmap 2023 is a significant milestone, setting a clear direction for the future of Photonics in the Netherlands. Working together, will accelerate the adoption of Photonics technology and drive economic growth and innovation nationally and in the region.
Download the Roadmap here

Gerard & Anton Award 2023

1 September 2023 - MantiSpectra has been recognized as one of the most promising start-ups in the Brainport Eindhoven region by the prestigious Gerard & Anton Awards! This achievement is a reflection of the dedication and innovation of our incredible team and the efforts required to bring a piece of technology from the lab to the hands of our customers. We are deeply appreciative of the trust and support we’ve received from our partners, customers, and the entire startup ecosystem in this thriving tech hub!
Read the complete press release here

Visit of Minister Liesje Schreinemacher to Holland High Tech Pavilion

28 June - We were very honored with the visit of our Minister of Foreign Trade and Development, Liesje Schreinemacher, to the Holland High Tech Pavilion at Laser World of Photonics in Munich.
She was impressed by the many possibilities offered by photonics and the versatility of the Dutch companies.
Read the complete press release here

Re-signing of the MoU between OptecBB, PhotonDelta, and PhotonicsNL

28 June - under the supervision of Minister Liesje Schreinemacher we re-signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the German photonics cluster OptecBB, PhotonDelta and PhotonicsNL.
This agreement signifies a commitment to increase collaboration and mutual development between the Dutch and German photonics sectors.
We look forward to great collaborations and cooperations and many events where we will strengthen both our networks!

Will you be in the KvK Innovation Top 100?

April - The Chamber of Commerce Innovation Top 100 shows what we are good at in the Netherlands: innovating! Entrepreneurs from Dutch small and medium-sized enterprises compete every year for a place in the KvK Innovation Top 100. All innovations are assessed on originality, impact on society and availability. The KvK Innovation Top 100 is a unique opportunity to increase the visibility of your innovation and company. In addition, participation gives access to new networks. Think of ministries, provinces, knowledge institutions, but also other entrepreneurs. Do you want to register or know more? Check the KvK website

Welcome to our new member PHOTON IP

3 September - We welcome PHOTON IP as our new member.
PHOTON IP is a deeptech startup based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, developing cutting edge technologies for advanced photonics applications.
We look forward to a succesfull collaboration!

Welcome to our new member Sensing360

29 August - We are very happy that Sensing360 joined as a new member.
Sensing360 provides optical sensor solutions for rotating assets improving reliability by design, availability by condition monitoring and efficiency by real-time optimization of the operation. We make optical sensor data into valuable operation data to push the boundaries of sustainable rotation.
Looking forward to a fruitfull teamwork!

Welcome to our new member ISTEQ

6 July - Welcome to ISTEQ as our new member.
ISTEQ is a high-tech company specializing in designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art products such as EUV and broadband light sources along with metrology equipment. We also provide a high temperature plasma simulation service. We are dedicated to listening to our customers’ demands and making alterations to suit their applications.
We are happy to have ISTEQ on board!

Welcome to our new member Photonis

5 July - We are happy to welcome Photonis as our new member.
Photonis is the global leader in the development and manufacture of ion, electron and photon detectors along with a broad range of critical technologies for analytical instruments and all mass spectrometry techniques. Their photonic solutions support spectroscopy applications with a broad choice of spectral response options. Their patented products provide superior lifetime and improved sensitivity so you will be the first to identify any unknown matter.
We are happy to have Photonis on board!

Welcome to our new member Hamamatsu Photonics Dutch Office

3 July - We welcome Hamamatsu Photonics - Dutch Office as our new member.
Hamamatsu Photonics is a leading manufacturer of optoelectronic detectors, light sources and systems. These include photomultipliers, photodiodes, infrared detectors, image sensors, highly sensitive cameras, laser diodes, discharge lamps, X-ray detectors and sources as well as special systems for semiconductor manufacturing, pharmaceutical development, non-destructive testing and academic research.
We look forward to work with Hamamatsu Photonics!

Golden Sponsors of the DutchPhotonicsEvent 2022

1 July - We're happy to announce the Golden Sponsors of the DutchPhotonicsEvent 2022, on 21 september at ASML. Meet Admesy, Laser 2000, QuiX Quantum, Te Lintelo Systems.
Meet them on the DutchPhotonicsEvent website!

Welcome to our new member IMEC Netherlands

6 June - We welcome IMEC Netherlands as our new member.
At imec The Netherlands it is their mission to develop targeted innovations with real impact on people’s lives. Here, imec joins forces with research institutions, governments and businesses to leverage its world-leading R&D for high-impact projects in nano- and digital technology.
We look forward to a fruitful collaboration!

We're hiring

20 May - We are facing new challenges, we therefore are looking for an Event Manager/Community Builder to strengthen our team. Are you the one we are looking for? Check your potential new position now!

PhotonDelta Lands €1.1 Billion To Usher in a New Generation of Semiconductor Technology

14 April - Eindhoven, Netherlands - PhotonDelta, a cross-border ecosystem of photonic chip technology organisations, has, subject to conditions*, landed €1.1 billion in public and private investment to transform the Netherlands into the leader of next generation semiconductors.
Read the complete article here.

Welcome to our new member Edmund Optics

6 April - We are happy with our new member Edmund Optics, a leading supplier of precision optics and optical components since 1942, designing and manufacturing a wide array of multi-element optical lenses, lens coatings, imaging systems, and optomechanical equipment.
We look forward to working with them!

Welcome to our new member Rapid Photonics

4 april - Welcome to Rapid Photonics. They want to revolutionize the development and application of Photonic Integrated Circuits by enabling fast production services of Polymer PICs. Their unique production technology enables PIC developers to execute design iterations in a matter of weeks and at affordable cost.
We are happy to have them on board!

Welcome to our new member SEDI ATI

10 January - We welcome our new member SEDI ATI fibres optiques. They are specialized in the design and manufacturing of multimode fiber-optic assemblies for custom, complex and extreme environments. The headquarters are settled near Paris (sales, R&D and production) and a sales office is based in Amsterdam. The company serves demanding markets such as the energy, the industry, the research, the military, space, and medical markets. Based on strong relationships with the customers, SEDI-ATI delivers fiber-optic assemblies such as bundles and arrays for spectrometry applications, highly achromatic multimode couplers for sensing and metrology applications, wavelength division multiplexers with a custom dichroic filter for optopyrotechnics or fluorescence detection, pressure and vacuum fiber-optic hermetic feedthroughs, special patch cords, cables, and connectors, as well as medical probes. The company is ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certified.
We are very pleased to have them on board!