The European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC) has announced the election of Dr. Drew Nelson, chief executive officer at IQE of Cardiff, UK, as its president. He will begin his term today, presiding over the annual general assembly of EPIC. Nelson succeeds Jean-François Coutris of Sagem Défense et Sécurité, who served two terms as the second president of the association. Nelson is CEO and co-founder of Epitaxial Products International (EPI). He led the company into a merger with US-based QED, forming the IQE Group, an outsource manufacturer of advanced semiconductor wafers. In July 2000, he received a silver medal from the Royal Academy of Engineering for his contribution to British engineering. He was awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to the electronics industry in the Queen’s Birthday Honors in 2001 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2004. EPIC promotes sustainable development for European organizations working in photonics. With 80 voting members and more than 400 associate members, EPIC is Europe’s leading photonics industry association. For more information, visit: www.epic-assoc.com