(1888PressRelease)
November 01, 2008 - Invest in Photonics on track for successful December debut
Invest in Photonics, the first international photonics partnering event of its kind, will be held in Bordeaux (in south-western France) from 11 to 12 December 2008. Despite the difficult economic outlook, the event has already met its objectives, with 50 applications received and major decision-makers in the field attending. The Technical Committee is now selecting the 20 projects that will be presented during the event. The main focus will be on the photovoltaic, healthcare and telecommunications sectors.
Investors may not have been significantly affected by the current financial crisis, yet they are bound to remain cautious regarding fundraising applications in excess of €10 million. For this reason, a targeted selection of 20 out of the 50 submitted applications is crucial. The projects will be chosen by the event’s Technical Committee, which is made up of international finance and industry professionals.
Of the fundraising applications that have been submitted, 80% range from €1 million to €10 million. One of the characteristics of these applications is that 53% come from start-ups and 39% from last-stage SMEs. There have been applications received from countries including Canada, Poland and Austria; in total, 30% of the projects submitted were from outside France. There is also a good geographical spread within France, with the majority of applications coming from the Ile de France region.
The applications presented include projects for the development of medical imaging, new diagnostic tools from the green technology sector, semiconducting materials for photovoltaic energy, and liquid lens technology for use in cameras and mobile phones. Fundraising applications are in excess of €10m in 6% of cases. The 20 selected international SMEs will each have 10 minutes to meet investors over the course of three major meetings called Business Time.
Seven conferences, known as Market Time, are also planned, representing an opportunity for attendees to learn about market trends from industry experts, who will offer their views on photonics-related themes such as intelligent lighting, biophotonic market opportunities and advances made in fibre-to-the-home technology.
The conferences will be chaired by experts including Dr Bernard Couillaud (Bookham), Stephen G. Anderson (Laser Focus World), Professor Dennis Matthews (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), Eric Perrin-Pelletier (Alcatel Lucent Bell Labs) and Alain Rodermann (Sofinnova Partners).
The Invest in Photonics programme will be complemented by a Round Table featuring venture capitalists from various European countries. It will focus on opportunities in the photonics market, as well as on the differences with other technology. The Round Table will also give participants the opportunity to present success stories.
Finally, Innovation Time will facilitate meetings and presentations, through photonics-related technological workshops and company on-site visits, such as the Innovative Products Show Room and Megajoule Laser Visit (MJL).
Members of the press can register to attend Invest in Photonics on the website: www.invest-in-photonics.com. Alternatively, registration forms, as well as the full programme of the event, are available from FTPB: please call the office on 00 44 (0) 207 235 5330 or email contact.ftpb ( @ ) ubifrance dot fr for more information dot
About Invest in Photonics
Invest in Photonics will be held from 11 to 12 December 2008 at the Regent Grand Hotel in Bordeaux (in south-western France). The event has been initiated by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission) and the ALPhA Route des Lasers cluster, with financial support from the European Union, the French Government, the Regional Council of Aquitaine, the County Council of Gironde, the Bordeaux Urban Community, and the Bordeaux municipal authority.
Invest in Photonics is also backed by CNOP (the French National Optics and Photonics Committee), EPIC (European Photonic Industry Consortium) and Finance & Technologie (a French association that promotes investment in innovative projects).
For further information, please go to: www.invest-in-photonics.com
About Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Industry represents the 44,000 companies based within Bordeaux and its region. It has three main roles: to assist companies in their development; to represent companies before the authorities; and, finally, to develop further the economy of Bordeaux and the surrounding region.
For further information, please go to: www.bordeaux.cci.fr
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