Basil Garabet (President & CEO) is the President and CEO of NKT Photonics which he has successfully grown since 2015. Basil is a serial entrepreneur with a 38-year tenure in Photonics where he has started, led and turned round a number of International Photonics companies. Basil’s career has spanned leading positions in JK Lasers, EM4, Altitun, Melles Griot and Lasertron. Basil is closely involved in promoting Photonics globally, especially research in new applications such as Quantum, and performs numerous honorary duties including Board seats on EPIC, Bifrost Communication, and the Danish Quantum Community. Basil holds an MSc in Lasers and Their Applications. Basil Garabet is a member of the EPIC Board of Directors.
Benno Oderkerk (CEO) has a background in electronics and medical technology. He studied at the University of Twente, Netherlands and did his master’s thesis at Technion, Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa in 1988. Since then, he worked for 5 years in a small sensor company in Munich and, in 1994, he started Avantes, a spectroscopy company. In the following 26 years Benno lead the company as CEO to a successful worldwide leader in spectroscopy. In 2018, Benno sold Avantes to Nynomic and in 2020 he resigned as CEO. Since then he is in the board of a few photonics companies as well as in the supervisory Board of Photon Delta and Chairman of Photonics NL. Benno Oderkerk is President of the EPIC Board of Directors.
Jyrki Saarinen (Professor) holds D.Sc. (Tech.) degree from Helsinki University of Technology (TKK), now Aalto University, where he is Adjunct Professor of Micro-Optics. He also holds an MBA from TKK Executive School of Business. After co-founding and working at Heptagon over 15 years including living in Silicon Valley for 7 years, he got professorship on Photonics Applications and Commercialization at the University of Eastern Finland, where is he also Head of the Center for Photonics Sciences (formerly Institute of Photonics). He is also Deputy Director of Photonics Research and Innovation PREIN Flagship in Finland with main responsibility on economic growth and other societal impact. He is Fellow of Optica (formerly Optical Society of America OSA). He has also continued working as board member or advisor in several startups in photonics industry.
Mircea Guina (Professor of Optoelectronics & Entrepreneur) leads the Optoelectronics Research Centre group at Tampere University. He obtained the PhD degree from Tampere University of Technology in 2002. Since then, he has been a constant contributor to the advance of laser science and optoelectronic technology. His research is focused on technology topics in the field of molecular beam epitaxy and optoelectronics, including the development of novel semiconductor lasers, photonic integration, photovoltaics, and laser applications. He has published more than 260 journal papers, eight book chapters, and has an outstanding record in leading large-scale research projects extending from basic science to technology transfer. He is the recipient of an ERC Advanced Grant, a Fellow of the OSA, and a Fellow of SPIE. Prof. Guina is a renewed promotor of academic-driven entrepreneurship and strategic collaboration with industry. He is co-founder and Chairman of Vexlum Oy, Picophotonics Oy, and Reflekron Oy.
Reinhard Voelkel (CEO) Executive with profound background in technology and digital. Strong interpersonal and networking skills, inspirational leadership, strategic thinking, and execution skills. Experienced with all stages of the development cycle of innovative startups, scaleups and tech companies. Fellow SPIE, Senior Member OPTICA (OSA), EPIC CEO Award 2022, Swiss Manufacturing Award 2021, Expert Innosuisse, member of several industrial, conference and company boards.
Seppo Orsila (Chairman & CEO) has 20 years of experience in international business in semiconductor, personalized medicine and telecommunication. Prior to re-joining Modulight he served in various roles most recently CFO of Nokia accessories business unit. Seppo has MBA from Helsinki School of Economics and Master of Science in semiconductor physics from Tampere University of Technology.
Tapio Kallonen (CEO) is the CEO at Specim, Spectral Imaging Oy, the global leader in spectral imaging devices and software based in Oulu, Finland. Tapio is also a member of Global Management Committee at Konica Minolta Sensing Business Headquarters. Tapio holds Master’s Degree in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from Aalto University (Finland). Tapio has completed Executive Training Programme at SOAS University of London and Waseda University (Japan).
Thomas Renner (CSO & Member of the Executive Board) joined TOPTICA Photonics in 2005 and is one of the two presidents of TOPTICA. He is working with lasers since 35 years and has a passion for everything which is related to photonics and light interaction. International business development (with a small personal kink for Japanese food) and the spirit of start-ups/medium sized photonic companies get him excited. He is a believer in the European idea and appreciates the activities, which EPIC is setting up for the European photonics industry.
Tjin Swee Chuan (Chairman) was appointed Associate Provost (Continuing Education) and Chief Executive, PaCE effective 1 March 2022. He is the President's Chair Professor of Optics and Photonics in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. He is also concurrently the Co-Director of The Photonics Institute (TPI), and was appointed the Founding Chair of the National Research Foundation (NRF) funded, LUX Photonics Consortium, which is a national consortium involving 74 companies and more than 70 faculty members from NTU, NUS, SUTD and A*STAR. He joined NTU in 1991 as a Lecturer in the School of EEE. He was appointed as Coordinator of the Photonics Research Group in 2000 and became the Founding Director of the Photonics Research Centre from 2003 to 2008. He was concurrently appointed as the Co-Director of the Singapore-University of Washington Alliance in Bioengineering Programme (SUWA) from 2004 to 2007, managing a S$26M research funding from the Biomedical Research Council under the Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR).
Sven Kiontke (CEO) has revolutionized the manufacturing of aspheric components and systems by developing a new technology to control CNC machinery. His professional experience includes more than 20 years of entrepreneurial, technical and management know-how. He is one of the leaders in developing technical standards related to aspheric and free-form surfaces through DIN and ISO and holds an MA in Computer Sciences from Friedrich-Schiller University Jena.
Markus Wilkens (Coordinator EU CSA) has more than 15 years’ experience at the VDITZ in the set up and execution of innovation-oriented initiatives at the interface of research, industry and politics. He managed to grow the European Technology Platform Photonics21 from a 60-member interest group to a European organisation with today more than 3000 members representing 1700 photonics companies and research organizations. He is responsible for the managing the private side operations of the Horizon 2020 Photonics Public Private Partnership which was valued “best in class” by and independent expert group of the European Commission as part of the Horizon Europe mid-term review. Prior to that, he worked as a consultant for the Bayerische Landesbank, Munich, in the start-up technology financing. Markus Wilkens studied Biology and Engineering at the Freie Universität Berlin, Stanford University and University of Bremen.
Hanna Hyttinen (Senior Advisor) is working at Invest in Finland, where she has a special focus on Electronics and Photonics, Sustainable Manufacturing and New Space. Her role is to help international companies and investors find business opportunities, set up their business, grow and develop in Finland. Prior to her current position, she managed a program dedicated to increase trade, investments and innovation between Finland and Japan, and coordinated a business development program in digital commerce. Hanna holds a master’s degree in Economics and Business Administration.
Timothy Paul Kennedy (Vice President of Global Sales) joined Edmund Optics in the year 2000 as an optical engineer and took on his current role since 2021. He spent over 19 years living throughout Asia, expanding the market reach and establishing global offices to support the current and future growth of Edmund Optics. Having spent years as a Managing Director in Japan, he also has a unique ability and understanding of what it takes to develop a cross-cultural business for success. He is also passionate about driving the growth of the company by creating a positive impact through the customer’s voice and market needs. Timothy Paul Kennedy holds a B.S. in Optical Engineering from the University of Arizona and a Global Executive MBA from INSEAD of Fontainebleau, France.
- Adam Piotrowski , CEO at VIGO Photonics
- Adrian Mahlkow , CEO at OpTecBB
- Albert Borreman , Managing Director at Demcon Focal
- Aldas Juronis , CEO at EKSPLA, UAB
- Alexander Guggenmos , CEO at Ultrafast Innovations
- Alexander Kostenko , CEO at Photosynthetic
- Alexander Schavkan , Business Development Manager at Innovaare
- Alexey Gayoso de los Santos , CEO at Maiman Electronics
- Amudhavel Jayavel, Senior Researcher at Center of Photonics and Computational Imaging
- Ana Belen Gonzalez , Director of Strategic Partnerships at iPRONICS
- André Nauen , Lab Director Optics and Photonics Packaging at Huawei
- Andrea Dunbar , Group Leader at CSEM
- Andreas Thoss, Managing Director at THOSS Media
- Andreas Umbach , CEO at AUCCEPT Consulting
- Andreas Weinert , Chairman of the Board at WEINERT Industries
- Andres Cifuentes , CEO at ASE Optics
- Andreu Llobera , Head of Photonic systems at Silicon Austria labs
- Andrew Blain , Managing Director at Photonic Solutions
- Andris Anspoks , Director at Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia
- Anke Odouli , Exhibition Director at Messe München
- Anna Dambrauskiene , CEO at EssentOptics
- Antanas Laurutis , CEO at Altechna
- Antti Peltonen , Marketing and Business Development Manager at SCHOTT Primoceler
- Ardan Fuessmann , Sales Director - SSL at Ushio
- Anu Kärkkäinen , Research Manager at VTT
- Arnolds Ubelis , Sci.Secrtary, Science Manager at National Science Platform FOTONIKA-LV at the University of Latvia
- Bárbara Buades , CEO at MEETOPTICS
- Basil Garabet , CEO at NKT photonics
- Beate Sauter , CEO at Lumics
- Benno Oderkerk, CEO at Betada Investments
- Benoît d'Humières , CEO at TEMATYS
- Berthold Schmidt , CEO at TRUMPF Photonic Components
- Birgit Päivänranta , Director Optical Engineering at Microsoft
- Bo Pedersen , CEO at Bifrost Communications
- Brian Miller, Business Development Manager at Riber
- Cara Gau , Business development at Liverage Technology
- Carlos Lee , Director General at EPIC – European Photonics Industry Consortium
- Choi Pheng Soo , Programme Director at LUX Photonics Consortium
- Chris Yates , Partner at Vision Ventures
- Christian Raith , Managing Director at IMM Photonics
- Christiaan van der Sluijs , Director at Freeptyc
- Claire Valentin , Chief Strategy Officer at Photonis
- Claudio Meli , CEO / CFO at WZW Optic
- Dainius Tumosa , CEO at EKSMA OPTICS
- Daniel Petters , CEO at Cycle
- David Gilbert , Technology Manager at Manufacturing Technology Center
- David Gillett , CEO at Laser 2000 (UK)
- Dorota Pawlak , President of the Board at Ensemble3
- Eero Koivusalo , COO at RefleKron
- Eero Koivumäki , Sales Engineer at Vexlum
- Elad Volfin , CRO at Monocrom
- Elina Koistinen , Executive Director at European Optical Society
- Eric Mottay , CEO at Amplitude
- Erik Böttcher , CEO at NYFORS
- Esa Karkkainen , Corporate Sales Manager at Bevenic Oplatek
- Eugen Bärwald , Area Sales Manager Europe at MPS Micro Precision Systems
- Ewit Roos , CEO at PhotonDelta
- Florian Blobner , Chief Product Officer at Photona / Laser Components
- Florian Döring , CEO at XRnanotech
- Frank Lerch , Director Business Development & Strategy at EPIGAP OSA Photonics
- Gauthier Briere , Product Marketing Manager at Applied Materials
- Gediminas Raciukaitis , Head of Department of Laser Technologies at FTMC - Center for Physical Sciences and Technology
- Gintas Slekys , CEO at Workshop of Photonics
- Glenn George , CEO at Bay Photonics
- Guillaume Huss , CEO at LEUKOS
- Guy Ear , CEO at OPTOSIGMA
- Håkan Karlsson , CEO at Cobolt
- Hanna Hyttinen , Senior Advisor, ICT and Digitalisation at Invest in Finland, Business Finland
- Heikki Timonen , Director at GEHT International
- Henning Schröder , Group Leader at Fraunhofer IZM
- Henrik Madsen , CEO at SPIO Systems
- Henrik Skov Andersen , CEO at Ibsen Photonics
- Ingolf Cedra , Managing Director at HÜBNER
- James Watkins , Professor / Director at University of Massachusetts
- Jan Goetz , CEO at IQM
- Jan Kischkat , CEO at Quantune Technologies
- Jan Meise , CEO at AMS Technologies
- Janne Kari , Head of Industry, ICT and Digitalisation at Invest in Finland, Business Finland
- Jean-François Boulanger , R&D Manager at Unity-SC
- Jean-François Morizur , CEO at CAILABS
- Jere Hartikainen, CTO at Specim
- Jérôme Michon , CEO at InSpek
- Jerome Mouly , Division Director - Photonics & Sensing at Yole Intelligence (Yole Group)
- Joël Thomé , CEO at PISEO
- Johannes Koeth , CEO at nanoplus
- Jonas Luermann , Doctor, Head of Engineering PhD at Bioherent
- Jörg Hermsdorf, Head of Materials and Processes Department at Laser Zentrum Hannover
- Jöns Tuomaranta , Ecosystem Lead at Business Finland
- Jorma Palmén , Head of Technology at PiBond
- Josef Meiler , Head of Sales Europe at EV Group
- Juha Purmonen , Executive Director at Photonics Finland
- Juha Rantala , Founder at Inkron
- Jukka Hast , Principal Scientist at VTT
- Jukka Perento , VP Operations and Sales at Inkron
- Juozas Zabolis , Business Development Manager at Zabolis Partners
- Jussi-Pekka Penttinen , CEO, CTO & Co-Founder at Vexlum
- Jyri Hämäläinen , Head of Product Management & Marketing, Co-Founder at Emberion
- Jyrki Huttunen , Director of Business Development at Bevenic Oplatek
- Jyrki Rosenberg , CEO at Emberion
- Jyrki Saarinen , Professor at University of Eastern Finland
- Kamil Pierscinski , Research Group Leader at Łukasiewicz - Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics
- Kestutis Jasiunas , Chairman of the Board at EKSPLA
- Kim Hansen , VP Strategic Marketing at NKT Photonics
- Kirill Kanbekov , Associate at Renevo Capital
- Klaus Engenhardt , General Manager at Quantifi Photonics
- Kristina Ananičienė , Executive Director at Lithuanian laser association
- Laimonas Gabrialavičius, Head of Sales at QS Lasers
- Lars Rymell , CEO at Eclipse Optics
- Leendert-Jan Nijstad , Managing Director at PhotonFirst
- Leonas Paukštys, COO at UAB Optonas
- LuYao Shi , Product Manager at Emberion
- Maik Frede , CEO at neoLASE
- Marco Mayer , Strategic Business Development at Hamamatsu Photonics
- Marek Kotelnicki , Managing Partner at VIGO Ventures
- Marius Šemeta , CEO at 3photon
- Mark Elliot , Head of Content Europa Science at Electro Optics
- Mark Kuijpers , Sales & Marketing Director at Lobre
- Mark Marshall , Vice President at Hitachi High-Tech
- Markus Kogel-Hollacher , Head of Department R&D Projects at Precitec Optronik
- Markus Riedi , CEO at Opto
- Markus Ojutkangas , General Manager at BKtel photonics
- Markus Wilkens , Coordinator EU CSA at VDI Technologiezentrum
- Martina Rehakova , Business Development Manager at Hilase Centre, Institute of Physics ASCR
- Martynas Barkauskas , CEO at Light Conversion
- Mathieu Semenou , CCO & Partner at Femto Easy
- Mats Hede, Managing Director at Hamamatsu Photonics
- Matthias Imboden , CEO at 4K-MEMS
- Max Skoglund , Managing Director at Hamamatsu Photonics
- Meri Helle , Co-Founder at Summa Semiconductor
- Meysam Bahmanian , PhD Candidate at University of Paderborn
- Michal Nejbauer , CEO at Fluence
- Michal Nikodem, Professor at Wroclaw University of Science and Technology
- Michel Pastoor , Sales Manager at NTS Optel
- Mikko Juntunen , CEO at Elfys
- Mikko Rasa , Manager, Sales and Marketing at ElFys
- Minna Törmälä , Global Marketing Manager at Specim
- Mircea Guina , Head of the Optoelectronics Research Centre at Tampere University
- Mohand Achouche , Strategy Advisor at III-V Lab
- Mohssen Moridi , Head of Research Division Microsystems at Silicon Austria Labs
- Nick Martin, Managing Director at Advanced Fibreoptic Engineering
- Nikolaus Hahne , CEO at Bloombeans
- Oliver Dreissigacker, Editor in Chief at Wiley at Photonics Views
- Pasi Vakaslahti, Innovation Office at Tampere University
- Patrick Runge , Head of Modulators & Detectors Group at Fraunhofer HHI
- Paul Hartmann , Director Insitute MATERIALS at JOANNEUM RESEARCH
- Paulius Naujalis , Operations Manager at VLC Photonics
- Per Karlsson , CEO at NorthLab Photonics
- Petteri Uusimaa , CTO at Modulight
- Philippe Bolle , CEO at Boltic
- Reinhard Voelkel , CEO at SUSS MicroOptics
- Ravikiran Saripalli , Senior Researcher at Technology Innovation Institute
- René Kromhof , Venture Partner at Voima ventures
- Roosa Hytönen , Researcher at RefleKron
- Remigijus Sliupas , Co-Founder and CEO at OPTOMAN
- Richard Furey , CEO at Yelo
- Rob Voorkamp , CEO at SCIL Nanoimprint Solutions
- Robert van Tankeren , CEO at InPhocal
- Robin Hassell , Executive Vice President & Co-founder at Acqiris
- Rolando Ferrini , Chief Regional Officer & Head of FEMTOprint Neuchâtel / BD Photonics at FEMTOprint
- Ronald Holzwarth , Managing Director at Menlo Systems
- Roy McBride , Managing Director at PowerPhotonic
- Rüdiger Paschotta , Managing Director at RP Photonics
- Ruth Houbertz , Managing Director at ThinkMade Engineering & Consulting
- Samuel Bucourt , CEO at Imagine Optic
- Sampsa Kuusiluoma , Managing Director at Medlight
- Selina Casutt , Managing Director at Swissmem Photonics, Innovation Booster Photonics
- Seppo Orsila , CEO at Modulight
- Sergei Tsarev , CEO at Astrum LT
- Sergi Ferrando , PhotonCAT Manager at ICFO
- Shahida Imani , CEO at Chromacity
- Stefan Steiner , Principal Scientist at LightTrans
- Stefan Weber , CEO & Co-Founder at Phaseform
- Sven Kiontke , CEO at asphericon
- Sven Rueger , CEO at Innolume
- Tadas Lipinskas , CEO at Optogama
- Tapani Ryhänen , CTO & Co-Founder at Emberion
- Tapio Kallonen , CEO at SPECIM
- Taras Lisouski , CEO at EssentOptics
- Tauno Vähä-Heikkilä , Vice President at VTT
- Tea Velamo, Manager PREIN at Tampere University
- Theodor Nielsen , CEO at NIL Technology
- Thomas Gadda , CTO at PiBond
- Thomas John , Managing Director at AEMtec
- Thomas Mayerhöfer , Senior Scientist at Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology
- Thomas Renner , Member of the Executive Board (CSO) at TOPTICA Photonics
- Tjin Swee Chuan , Chairman & Co-Director at LUX Photonics Consortium & The Photonics Institute, Nanyang Technological University
- Timo Aalto , Research Team Leader at VTT
- Timothy Paul Kennedy , Vice President of Global Sales at Edmund Optics
- Tom Pearsall , Founder at EPIC
- Udo Fetzer , Key Account Manager at OFS
- Udo Heinzel , CTO at Posalux
- Uula Kantojärvi , Director, Photonics Products at PiBond
- Viacheslav Artyushenko , President & CEO at art photonics
- Vicente Calvo Alonso , CEO at Comptek Solutions
- Ville Hevonkorpi , Managing Director at SCHOTT Primoceler
- Vince Baldwin, Business Development at Yole Group
- Volker Blank , CEO at LayTec
- William McLaughlin , Managing Director at Sivers Photonics
- Wolfgang Wieser , CEO at Optores
- Yi Xie , Business Development Manager at Imec
Market Reports
