New President for Photonics21
Aldo Kamper of Osram is elected president of Photonics21.
Netherlands native Aldo Kamper, president and CEO of Osram Opto Semiconductors, has been elected president of Photonics21, the European technology platform for the optics and photonics industry.
Kamper, an LED expert with an MBA from Stanford University (USA), succeeds Jenoptik’s Michael Mertin, who has had the role since 2012. Mertin will remain on the Photonics21 Board of Stakeholders. Another Osram CEO, Martin Goetzeler, was Photonics21 president from 2007 to 2012.
Kamper has been president and CEO of Osram since 2010, after holding a range of senior positions in the company since he joined in 1994, including stints in Hillsboro, NH, (USA), as executive vice president and General manager specialty lighting, NAFTA, general manager automotive Lighting, NAFTA, and VP and general manager LED.
By convention, Photonics21 presidents maintain their "day job" roles while spending a certain amount of time working for the international organization.
Photonics21 tweeted the announcement: "Our Board of Stakeholders has elected a new president. Congratulations to Aldo Kamper, CEO at Osram Opto Semiconductor. We are happy to have you on board!"
Other tweets from the Frankfurt meeting gave a taste of the growing importance of the organization, the key functions of which are to represent the photonics community of industry and research organizations - and whose more than 3000 members together develop a common photonics strategy for future research and innovation in Europe.
For example, Jean-Luc Beylat, president of Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs France and VP European Programs for Bell Labs, tweeted, "Impressive democratic organization at @Photonics21 with 3000 active members (society)".
WHAT'S NEXT FOR PHOTONICS21?
At this early stage, Kamper has not made a statement about his new role or any plans for the organization.
In May, Mertin stated, "Guenther Oettinger, the European Commissioner for Economy & Society, shares my view in his Digital Agenda for Europe, which is that in order to generate growth and wealth across Europe, the goal of deriving 20% of its GDP from industrial output by 2020 must be achieved.
"Therefore," Mertin said, "Photonics21 will shift its focus more toward industrial applications in order to bridge the so-called valley of death. This means that Europe must increase its market share in the successful invention and production of goods, an area still dominated by the USA and Asia, and thereby overcome the fact that Europe's strength so far has mainly been in developing technological advantages."
The next Photonics Public Private Partnership Annual Meeting has been scheduled for 28-29 March in Brussels.
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