Frankfurt, Germany, 11 December 2013 – The VDMA Photonics Forum bundles forces for the key technology photonics: On 9 December, it appointed high-ranking industrial representatives from the various photonics sectors of the VDMA to a representative steering committee. While driving the Photonics Forum and lending authenticity to it, the new steering committee will also define the work programme and the strategic direction of the forum in the future. For the some 400 VDMA member companies and institutions which are active in the field of the “technology of light”, the steering committee will serve as a pulpit to enhance intra-association awareness and promote the key technology’s strong position in business and scientific policy, especially in terms of its general public awareness.

With industrial representatives from the VDMA professional sectors laser, machine vision, flatpanel displays, photovoltaics, electronics production and micro technology, the new steering committee is an excellent reflection of the broad spectrum and variety of the interdisciplinary technology photonics. The committee comprises: Stephan Geiger (Rofin-Baasel Lasertech GmbH & Co. KG), Dr. Rüdiger Hack (Laser 2000 GmbH), Dr. Susanne Heun (Merck), Dr. Michael Vergöhl, Fraunhofer IST, Dr. Thomas Rettich (Trumpf GmbH & Co. KG) and Jürgen Valentin (NanoFocus AG).

“With this new, industry-led steering committee, we want to integrate the perspective of the industry even more directly into our activities and into the process of establishing the future fields of action of the forum,” said Gerhard Hein, Head of the VDMA Photonics Forum. “We look forward to new ideas and projects, which will emerge through the collaboration among selected professionals in the steering committee,” continued Hein.

About the VDMA Photonics Forum

The Photonics Forum serves as a subject-oriented platform for bundling and linking existing expertise and resources within the VDMA. The list of actors in the forum includes the following VDMA organisations: the German Flat Display Forum (Deutsches Flachdisplayforum, DFF), the Industrial Image Processing Sector “Machine Vision” (Fachabteilung Industrielle Bildverarbeitung), the Working Group Lasers and Laser Systems for Materials Processing (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Laser und Lasersysteme für die Materialbearbeitung), the Micro Technologies and Components Association (Fachverband Mikrotechniken und -komponenten), the Organic and Printed Electronics Assocation (OE-A), the Working Group Photovoltaic Equipment (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Photovoltaik-Produktionsmittel) and the Productronics Association [Electronic Production] (Fachverband Productronic [Elektronikfertigung]). The forum draws on the support of a group of members comprising more than 500 companies and research institutions along the entire value creation chain – of which some 400 members are primarily active in the field of photonics.