Industry Leaders, Policymakers to Gather at Third DC-Based SPIE Photonics Industry Summit on 25 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 25 September, in Washington, DC, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, will host its third annual Photonics Industry Summit. The event will bring together leaders from the optics and photonics community, executives from related businesses, high-level US government agency representatives, and US congressional representatives. Collectively, they will be sharing their plans and expectations for optics and photonics-related programs in key areas such as: directed energy, quantum, fusion ignition, and updates on the CHIPS for America program and EDA Tech Hubs.

The featured speakers include:

• US Economic Development Administration’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and External Affairs Cristina Killingsworth
• US Department of Energy’s Program Director of Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy Olga Blum Spahn
• NIST’s CHIPS Research and Development Program Deputy Director Eric K. Lin
• NASA Astrophysics Division Director Mark Clampin
• Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering’s Director of the Joint Directed Energy Transition Office Mark Spencer
• Harvard postdoctoral researcher and US Defense Innovation Unit’s Senior Advisor for the Emerging Technology Kushal Seetharam
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Program Director for Optics and Materials Science & Technology in the NIF & Photon Science Directorate Tayyab Suratwala
• Director of the Office of Small Business Programs within Department of Defense Farooq A. Mitha
• SPIE CEO Kent Rochford

Prior to the summit and new to the event this year is a Congressional Reception, which will be held on Capitol Hill, at the Rayburn House Office Building, from 4:00 PM-7:00 PM on 24 September. No additional registration is required for this opportunity to network, speak directly with congressional representatives, and advocate on behalf of the photonics industry.

“I’m very excited about this year’s program,” says SPIE Director of Government Affairs Jennifer O’Bryan. “Not only have we attracted the participation of a broad range of senior government officials with significant budget authority, but for the first time, we are pairing the event with a congressional reception the night before the summit. This will be a unique opportunity to engage with your elected representatives at a location particularly convenient for them, while also taking full advantage of your trip to Washington, DC.”

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

For more information and to register for the SPIE Photonics Industry Summit, please visit our website. Registration for this even closes 13 September.

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 $24 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.