News in brief: Aeronex and Tampere University
Aeronex, a supplier of gas purification solutions, has expanded by 20% its research and development laboratories at its headquarters in San Diego, CA. The new lab has state-of-the-art gas delivery systems to all instruments and test stations and is designed for future expansion.
In addition, Aeronex says that it experienced a 34% increase in sales in 2002, a 6% increase in profits and 13% growth in personnel. "Aeronex had a significant number of design wins last year that enabled us to grow in a very difficult economic climate," said Jeff Spiegelman, president of Aeronex.
Optoelectronics Research Centre in Finland gets €1.08 million grant
The Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) of Tampere University of Technology in Tampere, Finland, has received a two-year grant worth €1.08 million from the National Technology Agency (TEKES). The funds will be used for the further development of high-intensity ultra-short-pulse fiber lasers, tunable broadband light emitters implemented in optical fiber systems, and dilute nitride lasers oscillating at a wavelength of 1.3 microns.
The project, entitled "Towards Lighter Technologies" or TORCH, will explore ways to achieve femtosecond-regime optical pulses from fiber lasers which are integrated with semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors, and to develop GaInNAs edge-emitting lasers and VCSELs.
"ORC has two reasons to celebrate today," noted Markus Pessa, director of ORC. "First, this appropriation will help us hire more researches and cover high costs incurred from running our crystal growth facilities; these include five commercial MBE systems and an optoelectronic device fabrication area.
"Secondly, the construction of a new ORC building is almost completed and most of the acquired equipment worth €1.4 million, funded in a cost-share arrangement by the European Union, Pirkanmaa TE-Centre (Finland) and industry, have been installed. All these grants bring added distinction to our research center."