Industry Leaders, Policymakers to Gather at Second DC-Based SPIE Photonics Industry Summit on 27 September

With its focus on optics and photonics as a key enabler of emerging technology, the day-long program features US government agencies speaking on federal policy and funding to an audience of leading industry and community representatives

BELLINGHAM, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On 27 September, in Washington, DC, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, will host its second Photonics Industry Summit. The one-day event will bring together leaders from the optics and photonics community, executives within related businesses, US government agency representatives, and elected officials. Collectively, they will be sharing their plans and expectations for optics and photonics-related programs in key technology areas, including focused panel discussions on the semiconductor industry, STEM workforce development, and the latest innovations in quantum.

Some of the featured speakers include:

• National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Interim CHIPS Research and Development Program Director Eric Lin
• The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense’s Principal Director for Microelectronics Devanand Shenoy
• Bureau of Industry and Security for Export Administration’s Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Borman
• Quantum Economic Development Consortium Deputy Director Jonathan Felbinger
• Department of Defense’s Principal Director for Directed Energy Frank Peterkin
• White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Deputy Director for the National Quantum Coordination Office Gretchen Campbell
• NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Optical Engineer Margaret Dominguez
• Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering’s Department of Defense STEM Director Louie R. Lopez
• Monroe Community College Professor and Executive Director of Workforce and Higher Education at AmeriCOM Alexis Vogt
• The National Science Foundation’s Staff Associate for Technology Policy and Strategy Tess DeBlanc-Knowles
• Department of Energy Acting Associate Director of Advanced Scientific Computing Research Ceren Susut
• National Science Foundation Division Director of Undergraduate Education Rosalyn Hobson Hargraves
• Congressional Representative Joseph Morelle
• SPIE CEO Kent Rochford

“Building on last year’s overwhelming success, I think we have outdone ourselves with the breadth and quality of this year’s program,” notes SPIE Director of Government Affairs Jennifer O’Bryan. “If you want a jump-start on positioning your company or institution to work with the US government, you will want to be at this year’s Industry Summit.”

The event is sponsored by AmeriCOM, Edmund Optics, Google, Hamamatsu, Jenoptik, LaCroix Precision Optics, Leonardo Electronics, Optimax, Quartus Engineering, Sydor Optics, Teledyne, Thorlabs, and TOPTICA Photonics.

About SPIE

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, brings engineers, scientists, students, and business professionals together to advance light-based science and technology. The Society, founded in 1955, connects and engages with our global constituency through industry-leading conferences and exhibitions; publications of conference proceedings, books, and journals in the SPIE Digital Library; and career-building opportunities. Over the past five years, SPIE has contributed more than $22 million to the international optics community through our advocacy and support, including scholarships, educational resources, travel grants, endowed gifts, and public-policy development. www.spie.org.