Business briefs

12 Nov 2004

Including news from Raytheon, StockerYale, BTG, FLIR Systems, EXFO and more.

General company news:

•  L-3 Communications, US, has acquired Raytheon's infrared business for around $42 million in cash. The acquisition is expected to add around $50 million to L-3's sales for 2005. The business will be renamed L-3 Communications Infrared Products and located in Dallas, Texas.

•  StockerYale plans to acquire fellow US firm Navitar in a transaction valued at $25.5 million. Navitar develops lens systems for the machine vision and biomedical diagnostic industries. StockerYale anticipates closing the deal by the end of 2004.

•  BTG, the UK-based technology commercialization company, is seeking an exclusive licensee for a patent portfolio covering the transparent cathodes that are used in polymer OLEDs. The firm says the portfolio would give the licensee a competitive position in the polymer OLED market.

•  Zygo, US, has opened a regional sales and customer support center in Shanghai, China. The firm says the office will help it expand into growing business opportunities in Asia, such as the flat panel display and semiconductor industries.

Grants, contracts and funding:

•  SILIOS Technologies of France, a maker of micro-optical components, has delivered phase screens to the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The ESO will use the parts in an atmospheric turbulence simulator, which tests adaptive optics systems before they are installed on the VLT in Chile. SILIOS says three other European astronomy labs have placed orders for this type of product.

•  Lehigh University, US, has received a $3.25 million five-year grant from the US National Science Foundation to establish a center for researching glass. The International Materials Institute for New Functionality in Glasses (IMI) will look at new types of glass for applications including nanolenses, displays and DNA analysis.

•  FLIR Systems, US, will supply Northrop Grumman Systems (NGSC) will three BRITE Star airborne thermal imaging laser designator systems. The value of the contract was not disclosed. The units will be installed on NGSC's vertical-takeoff unmanned air vehicles. Subject to funding, FLIR estimates a follow-on order of 50 units.

•  Polatis, the UK developer of ultra-low loss optical switches, has closed its third round of funding on $9.4 million. The firm will use the cash to increase its manufacturing capabilities and expand its product portfolio.

Distribution agreements:

•  Thin Film Center in Tucson, Arizona has appointed P&T Consulting of the UK as its European agent for its optical thin-film software, training and consultancy services.

•  EXFO of Canada has named Rohde & Schwarz of Munich, Germany, as a distribution partner for the German market. The German distributor has obtained exclusive rights to sell the majority of EXFO's telecom-related products.