Patricia Panchak

Apr 15, 2024 | laserfocusworld.com | Patricia Panchak

Aack! Get the government involved? It’ll take too long! We must act now, not wait on something that will take years. That was one reaction to my previous commentary, “A practical step to increase the awareness of photonics.” And in response, I say I agree. In many ways, that’s true. However, let’s not let urgency override the important. We can and should execute both short- and long-term strategies to overcome the chronic problem of photonics skilled workforce shortages.

Apr 8, 2024 | laserfocusworld.com | Patricia Panchak

Despite its growing global economic importance, photonics remains nearly invisible to our government, financial, and business leaders. This realization isn't new, but becomes more inexplicable and frustrating as the years pass. I was reminded of this situation while listening to Optica CTO Jose Pozo's opening remarks at the Optica Executive Forum.

Apr 5, 2024 | laserfocusworld.com | Patricia Panchak

The recent news that Continental, a sustainability and mobility solutions provider, will begin developing auto display solutions using Waterloo, ON, Canada-based VueReal's MicroSolid Printing technology marks another milestone for the novel approach to micropixel fabrication.

Mar 21, 2024 | laserfocusworld.com | Patricia Panchak

XProLas, an ambitious initiative spearheaded by TRUMPF and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), is set to leverage the capabilities of laser-driven x-ray sources to revolutionize the process of developing electric car batteries. The project seeks to develop a compact, high-brilliance, next-generation laser-driven x-ray source and demonstration system that manufacturers can use to study and improve battery durability and performance.

Mar 11, 2024 | laserfocusworld.com | Patricia Panchak

No matter the strength of your strategy or technology advantage, business conditions beyond your control always seem ready to upend even the best plans. So, staying aware of and preparing to counter them is vital. Several not-so-often-discussed trends called out during SPIE's Global Business Forum in January strike me as critical to share with the broader photonics community. 1. Uneven growth rates: Citing IMF data, John R.