Dr Elaine Blackwood, director of sales and marketing at Photonic Solutions explains how the company has adapted to the increasingly diverse photonics sectors during its 23 years in business - and the reason behind its brand refresh.
Photonic Solutions is an established partner in the photonics sector. What changes have you seen during your time in the industry and how have you adapted your business to meet these demands?
Photonics has a huge impact on our everyday life and we’ve seen the sector diversify significantly since Photonic Solutions was founded in 1999. Originally, lasers and light sources were at the core of our business. We worked with a purely academic customer base, with a heavy focus on physical chemistry.
Now, photonics is a mass-enabler across multiple industries and applications. We see photonics as an enabling technology in industries ranging from healthcare to electronics, industrial manufacturing to defence, agriculture, communications to materials processing and quantum communications and industrial manufacturing.
Nevertheless, when we first start working with a customer, we still ask the same questions now as we always have: “What is your application and how do you want to use your solution?”
As the applications have expanded, our answers have become increasingly diverse to that question. But some things never change.
We’re still just as passionate now about engaging with our customers to find the right photonics solution as we’ve always been. It has always been about finding great photonic solutions – hence the name!
What impact has the diversification of the photonics industry had on your business?
Photonic Solutions has grown and evolved as the industry has grown. We’ve focused on nurturing our in-house talent and expanding the skill set of our employees, so they are equipped to be the experts in their own particular photonics sector.
We’re also an employee-owned company, which is a change that’s only come in during the last few years but is a clear indication of how invested everyone is in the continued growth and evolution of our company.
Our commitment to partner with the leading photonics manufacturers also ensures we continue to deliver the best instrumentation to the UK, and Ireland. We are honoured that we have been part of the journey that the photonics industry has gone on over the last couple of decades, from a niche application to a critically enabling technology on a global scale.
Why did you decide that now is the time to refresh your logo and can you explain some of the decisions that led to this move?
Our vision has always been to be a key partner in the photonics supply chain and our new brand identity plays a crucial role in achieving this vision. The newly designed identity reflects our expertise in six areas of the photonics sector: Lasers, Spectroscopy, Microscopy and Imaging, Optomechanics, Diagnostics and Accessories.
The revised logo borrows heavily from its predecessor, with the main difference being the segments that outline our services. Six distinct colours clearly show the variety of products we offer to the growing photonics sector.
While our reputation in the laser industry is second to none, we wanted to showcase our other areas of expertise and highlight our capabilities beyond this one speciality. Our refreshed logo reflects our expertise in these areas of the photonics sector.
Dr Elaine Blackwood, director of sales and marketing at Photonic Solutions
And what changes do you anticipate from the photonics industry over the next 23 years?
I am optimistic that photonics will continue to be as ground-breaking over the next 23 years as it has over the past 23 years.
Photonics is critical to making products and services that deliver value to consumers and industry across all vertical markets. Photonics systems are now at the core of everything from autonomous transport to quantum technologies, real-time digital services and defence and security solutions. I also predict that photonics will be essential to delivering a net zero economy here in the UK and across the globe.
For example, photonics solutions are currently being used in photovoltaics to enable the seamless integration of solar power into buildings and infrastructure without compromising on aesthetics. Recent studies are also predicting that integrated photonics can reduce data centre energy consumption by more than 50% by 2035.
Photonics has the potential to deliver a significant economic impact in the manufacturing and agriculture sectors, helping to enable industrial digitisation projects and reduce CO2 emissions.
We are privileged to have worked and continue to work with scientists and engineers that have the vision to utilise photonics to solve the greatest challenges of the 21st century, from global warming to digital inclusivity. I have never been so excited about the future of photonics!
