A tribute to the winners

Diane Laurin

Last month during SPIE’s Photonics West 2009 in San Jose, Calif., we were proud to honor 10 companies whose products were announced as the winners of the 2008 Prism Awards for Photonics Innovation.

The Prism Awards, a joint collaboration of Laurin Publishing and SPIE, were created to represent the premier global awards in the photonics industry. Judged by a panel of 28 independent judges – all regarded as experts in photonics technology – the products were judged entirely on their merit and on their contribution to the scientific discipline they represent.

They also represent much more: the reinvigoration of industry pride at a time when we all face a grim economic scenario. Luckily, we’ve experienced this before, and our activity during previous recessions has prepared us to focus on new research, products and technologies that position us well.

So hats off to the winners, and you can read more about them beginning on page 30 of this issue. They are:

• Analytical, Test and Measurement. Aragon Photonics Labs, “BOSA-C Compact High-Resolution Optical Spectrum Analyzer.”

• Detectors, Sensing and Imaging Equipment. NoblePeak Vision Corp., “TriWave Camera.”

• Optics. Tessera, “OptiML WLC.”

• Lasers (tie). Coherent, “OPSL 577-3 Solid-State Laser.”

• Lasers (tie). Daylight Solutions, “Broadly Tunable, CW, Mode-Hop-Free Laser System.”

• Other Light Sources. Sensor Electronic Technology Inc., “Deep UV Light Sources.”

• Photonics Systems and Best in Show. Luxtera, “Blazar.”

• Photonics Processes. Princetel, “FP180 Hand Polisher.”

• Sustainable Green Technology. Solyndra, “Solar Photovoltaic System.”

• Life Sciences. JPK Instruments AG, “JPK NanoTracker.”