Open Photonics and VTT announce collaboration

10 Apr 2013

Commercialization of novel spectral engine technologies

Open Photonics, a photonics technology acceleration company and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have announced a business partnership to accelerate the commercialization of VTT’s advanced Fabry-Perot visible and infrared spectroscopy and spectral imaging technologies.

Jason Eichenholz, CEO of Open Photonics, Inc., commented, “Open Photonics has introduced a new model for speeding commercialization. We see great synergies in linking VTT’s spectral engine technology with our commercial partners focusing on bringing next generation sensing technologies to market.”

Next-generation measurements

VTT’s novel Fabry-Perot technologies are said to enable size and cost reductions in the next generation of spectral measurement instrumentation. These properties combined with access to new wavelength regions are the key drivers for future measurement and process control devices. The associated sensing platforms have been demonstrated in many applications including medical imaging, gas analysis, process monitoring and remote airborne sensing.

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is a leading multi-technological applied research organization in Northern Europe, which creates new technology and science-based innovations in co-operation with domestic and foreign partners. VTT’s turnover is €290 m and its personnel totals 3100.

Howard Rupprecht, Vice President of New Business Development at VTT, commented, “The Open Photonics team has strong know-how on the commercialization process, and knowledge of potential markets, partners and customers globally. Our strategy is to make business out of technology, and by collaborating with Open Photonics and leveraging their business and technological expertise in photonics, we expect to accelerate the commercialization of our optical sensing technology significantly.”

In February 2013, VTT announced the development of a new series of mid-infrared spectrometers, based on MEMS-tunable Fabry-Perot filter spectral sensors and integrated into gas detectors, branded as “GasSensors”. The sensors are intended for detecting and analyzing low levels of hydrocarbon gases in the spectrum between 3 and 3.7 microns.

Open Photonics accelerates early-stage product development, innovation and research and development for global clients that seek photonic based solutions as part of their strategy and product roadmap. The company manages what it calls “a new type of open innovation and crowd-sourcing grant program” – Photonic Horizons.

The aim here is to harvest technology and new product ideas sitting dormant within garages, universities or small companies and match them with more established companies looking to bring these ideas to market via their established processes and channels. OPI only engages clients and projects encompassing the commercialization of photonics technologies.

About the Author

Matthew peach is a contributing editor to optics.org