What is Applied Industrial Optics?
Gary Miller, US Naval Research Laboratory, USA
Applied Industrial Optics (AIO) is a unique conference where industrial professionals are asked to speak about their work, which typically is never published, unless as a patent. While many industrial societies have conferences that approach this format, the Optics and Photonics industry typically only has trade shows, such as CLEO and Photonics West. For industrial participants, these events are focused on the exhibition floor and the technical program is ancillary. AIO shifts that paradigm, focusing instead on the technical program.
Invited speakers are selected from a wide array of disciplines reflected in the broad scope of the meeting (www.osa.org/aio). AIO provides a format for academic institutions and corporate entities to showcase their latest technical solutions in applied research. While the program committee strives to maintain a strong corporate presence, presenters from academic institutions and governmental labs typically form the basis for demonstrations of emerging technologies that are exciting and ripe for commercialization. These speakers are chosen based on the quality and applicability of their research, commercial impact, and scientific novelty.
At AIO, groups can interact to discuss research challenges, foster new collaborative efforts, and incubate ideas for the next generation of solutions. Where other industry-centric meetings tend to focus the business aspect of commercializing technology (such bringing a product to market, analyzing consumer trends, or economic development), AIO strives to emphasize the solution to the problem. One unique aspect of AIO is its use of panels to jump start the networking process. The panel discussions have become a highlight of the conference and a key component to its success. These discussions distinguish AIO from other meetings by not only providing a workshop to discuss research challenges but also a networking forum for future cooperative partnerships.
AIO enables the cross-pollination of ideas and technologies in a friendly and welcoming environment. Regular attendees have developed business relationships at these events, provided key contacts to help one another bring their devices to market, and generated unparalleled camaraderie. Very few meetings match the level of interaction amongst attendees both within and outside the conference sessions as AIO does.
The next meeting is 25 - 28 July 2016 in Heidelberg, Germany as part of the Imaging and Applied Optics Congress. We hope you’ll join us there.
