Haleos, Inc., The New ACT MicroDevices, and Newport Corp. today announced that they have formed a strategic alliance for the joint development of next-generation fiber optics and photonics manufacturing automation equipment. "The combination of Newport's automation expertise and our engineering innovation provides a powerful vehicle for customizing and enhancing both existing and new automation solutions," said David Sherrer, Haleos' president and CEO. "Our technologies, including our Silicon Optical Bench (SiOB) platform, lend themselves to scalable automated manufacturing and even quality testing. This alliance with Newport will allow us to take advantage of the latest automation solutions for high volume manufacturing." "Today we joined forces with Haleos, a company we believe to be an innovative supplier of fiber optic components and next generation optical solutions," said Robert G. Deuster, chairman, president and CEO of Newport. "In doing so, Newport solidified a relationship that provides us with unique and upfront access to the manufacturing and automation needs of optics companies seeking commercially viable automation solutions." The alliance includes direct research and design, testing, and in-house trial use by Haleos of Newport automation solutions and the collaborative development of new solutions.