Celebrating the International Day of Light, the Sydney Photonics Industry Network is proud to bring together 10 leading companies and organizations from the Sydney and Canberra Optics and Photonics landscape to demonstrate their pioneering products and services. Also gracing the stage is our keynote speaker, Dr. Simon Poole AO, who will shed light on the Current Status and Future Opportunities of the Australian Photonics Industry.
Event Details
Program
5:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Reception and Sign-in
6:00 PM – 6:15 PM
Welcome Address
Dr. Katie Chong
6:15 PM – 6:55 PM
The Australian Photonics Industry: Current status and future opportunities
Dr. Simon Poole AO
Photonics is a key enabling capability which will underpin the future security, prosperity, and social cohesion of Australia. It is a key ‘Technological Enabler’ which fuels the world’s economic engine, with the value of Photonics-enabled products and services estimated at around $AU15 trillion annually, roughly 10% of Global GDP. This presentation will provide an update on the current state of Australia’s Photonics Industry, based on new data obtained in late 2023. Based on this, and an analysis of global trends and activity, potential areas for company and industry growth will be presented.
6:55 PM – 7:05 PM
Photonics: Enabling Australian Innovation in Navigation Technology
Katherine Kinder @ Advanced Navigation
Photonics plays a key role in the hardware required for precision navigation, including fibre-optic gyroscope (FOG) inertial navigation systems. This presentation will examine the theory behind FOGs and how Advanced Navigation utilises innovative photonic technology in the manufacturing of these strategic-grade systems.
7:05 PM – 7:15 PM
Multiphysics Simulation and Design of Optical Systems Using STOP Analysis
Thomas Benke @ LEAP Australia
This presentation will demonstrate how Multiphysics simulations using STOP (structural, thermal, and optical performance) analysis can be used to design complex opto-mechanical systems. An example will be explored in which structural and thermal effects are accounted for in the design of a high-power laser cutter.
7:15 PM – 9:00 PM
Demo and Networking
Demo Highlights
Speakers
Dr Simon Poole AO
Dr Simon Poole AO is an engineer/scientist/entrepreneur with 40 years’ experience in photonics in research, academia and industry. He has been involved in start-ups in both academia and industry for the majority of this time and is renowned both for his contribution to the technology of photonics as well as the companies he has founded.
He was a member of the team that invented the Erbium-Doped Fibre Amplifier (EDFA) at Southampton University and, on moving to Australia in 1988, founded the Optical Fibre Technology Centre at the University of Sydney and, subsequently, the Australian Photonics Cooperative Research Centre.
Since leaving academia in 1995, he has founded a number of companies (Indx/JDSUniphase Australia, Engana/Finisar Australia and Cylite Pty Ltd) which have, between them, generated over $2B in export revenues and employed over 1,000 people in Australia.
Dr Poole is a Director of Cylite Pty Ltd and of the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF), a member of the TMOS Advisory Board, and a fellow of the AAS, ATSE, IEAust and IEEE.
Katherine Kinder
Katherine is a photonics engineer at Advanced Navigation. With a strong background in optical physics and precision instrumentation, she specialises in designing photonic hardware for cutting-edge inertial navigation systems, including strategic-grade fibre-optic gyroscopes.
Katherine completed her undergraduate degree in Physics at Macquarie University, before pursuing a Master of Science in Precision Measurement and Instrumentation at the Australian National University. Her studies and research centred on precision sensing using photonic and optical instrumentation, particularly in the context of gravitational wave detection.
Thomas Benke
Thomas is the Ansys Electronics Business Manager at LEAP Australia.
Statistics
110+
In-Person
Attendees
50+
Organisations
Represented
82%
Industry Presence
19%
Academic Presence
Gallery
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