Photonics North 2004 will be an immensely well- attended International Conference and Exhibition focused on business and technology innovations in optics and photonics. There will be large delegations from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Germany, as well as from the U.S. and the rest of Canada. This is an unparalleled low-cost opportunity for Canadian companies to meet hundreds of qualified buyers and decision-makers from all over the world.

For Ottawa-based companies, who will have no travel costs to support, the net cost of exhibiting at PN04 is miniscule. Since each exhibitor is entitled to two free Conference passes (valued at over $1000.) and a free year's membership in OPC (a $250. value), the net cost to them of a table top is less than $500. For members of OPC, who receive a 15% discount on exhibit space, the net cost is less than $250. Additional cost-free benefits include Exhibition badges for an unlimited number of exhibitor personnel and an on-line listing with hotlinks to the company's website and e-mail.

We believe this is a must-attend event for local companies, since it will provide them with the opportunity to interact with world-leading researchers, scientists, academics, and managers and at the same time help us demonstrate that Ottawa is still the vibrant technological center of the Canadian photonics industry. We urge you all to visit the SPIE website and get your registrations in ASAP.

Universities and the Development of Industry Clusters

Universities that are highly engaged with regional industry clusters have diverse and complementary units that broadly address the needs of the cluster. Rather than a compartmentalized approach, engaged universities are sources of research and technology, but also address other aspects that affect cluster growth such as business, marketing, legal, and workforce issues. In order to have an impact on a regional industry cluster, the university must have a significant base of research aligned with the needs of that cluster. In the case of research and technology assets, size does matter. The university must have a large base of research and development in order to significantly impact a cluster, rather narrowly benefiting only a few firms. The university must also have expertise and resources in appropriate areas that align with the needs of the clusters in the region. Less important is the structure or processes of the technology transfer function.

To read the final edition of the (US) Center for Economic Development (CED)'s report on The Role of Universities in Industry Cluster Development, click here!

Networks of Competence in Germany 2004/2005

This annual report highlights successful networks of competence in key German clusters. The report covers a variety of sectors and regions including aerospace, biotechnology, genomics, industrial manufacturing, nanotechnologies and power engineering. For each sector the report identifies key clusters and provides an overview of the activities and profiles of dominant competency networks (industry networking associations) in each region. Read the report now!

April 21, 2004, was the latest OPTIC company visit. The Cluster toured Trojan Technologies of London. Despite the long trip from the GTA, 40+ attendees made the journey to London, including several students and post-docs from the southwest Ontario local section of the Optical Society of America (OSA).

Trojan manufactures a variety of water treatment systems based on UV lamps. The systems range in size from single lamp residential systems to massive, KW systems used by municipalities. UV based systems are able to effectively disinfect water with reduced chlorine levels, as organisms less sensitive chlorine tend to be more sensitive to UV. These systems are also used to destroy chemical contaminants in water by UV photolysis.

Gord Knight, Research and Development Specialist and Diana Cunningham, marketing and corporate communications manager, made presentations to the group. After the formal session, the group was allowed to view the facility, including manufacturing, testing and development labs. The manufacturing area included some of the larger KW municipal systems under construction.

V-OPC has been a source for news and events in the photonics community since February 2003. It is also a powerful tool for members to "cluster" and discuss new ideas online, arrange for local get-togethers and network for career advancement. As a virtual community, V-OPC is what its members make it to be! We encourage you to actively participate in keeping this site current by posting news, events and initiating discussions. We are also calling out to industry leaders and educators to spread the word to their employees, students and friends. Active membership from all levels of the industry keeps it interesting and creates a lively "grassroots" community, accelerating the pace of innovation in photonics!

If you are not yet a member, why not join today and invite your collegues?