The Institute for Applied Physics “Nello Carrara” (IFAC) and the El.En. Group – with its spin-off Deka – will attend SPIE PW (San Francisco, February 4-6, ), the state of the art event for photonics, optoelectronics and laser technologies.
The mission of IFAC is research at international level, in such areas as optoelectronics, laser, spectroscopy and Ict, as well as technology transfer for innovating the national economic system.
Over 100 scientists are active in the Institute based in Florence and roughly one third of them is focused on the themes of SPIE PW. The main research activity deals with promising new solid state laser systems. The research programs of IFAC are mainly financed by the Region of Tuscany or European Union and are included in projects – in partnership with private companies – leading to products ready to be marketed.
In San Francisco IFAC will be exhibiting surgical and diagnostic products developed with micro and nano optics technologies as well as innovations in nanomedicine and biophotonics (a technology based on photon interaction with bio cells).
IFAC will be participating to SPIE PW also to identify new partners (research centers or enterprises) for developing European or anyhow international projects and for establishing start up for joint development of new products. IFAC will be a player in the scientific arena too, as its researchers will present several papers and posters or chair specific sessions.
El.En. S.p.A., one of the Tuscan blue chips attending SPIE Photonic West, was established in 1981 in Florence by a university professor and one of his students. Today it is public on Milan stock exchange (TechStar:El.En.) and leads a Group of companies operating in the optoelectronic field. The thirty companies of the Group, with their 800 employees and a worldwide distribution network, in FY 2012 achieved 151Mln Euro consolidated revenue, 82% on foreign markets.
R&D is the heart of El.En Group. The company was involved, since its origins, in Italian and international projects in the medical field and achieved technically advanced solutions such as mininvasive lasers. It operates as well in the industrial and in art conservation fields. Thanks to its R&D and production expertise El.En has introduced in the market innovative laser sources. They are internally developed (including project and production of all components, control electronics too) and able to generate beams at different wavelengths, with outstanding performances, reliability, safety and electric efficiency. The optical components, the beam delivery units and the galvanometer scanners can be integrated into systems and production lines for cutting, welding, labelling and engraving a large range of materials.
Deka, is an El.En. Group company in the medical field and will be in San Francisco as well. Deka designs, develops and manufactures lasers and light systems for health care and aesthetics applications. It is active in Italy and in more than 80 countries thanks to a network of partners and of direct subsidiaries (USA, Japan, France, Germany). Its catalogue include products for surgical application, a complete range of laser devices for odontostomatology and a revolutionary treatment of female urogenital system.
Picture: Laser-assisted eye surgery intervention for corneal anastomosis in cornea transplant (courtesy of Ifac)
Elisabetta Bevilacqua