Innovative SMEs are suited for the Challenges
Andrés Cifuentes, CEO at ASE Optics Europe, reflects in the EPIC Spotlight’s editorial on the company’s growth from optical design consulting to series production, the importance of a diverse team, strong supplier relationships, and how the future of photonics lies in agile innovation for emerging markets like new space and Quantum Optics.
Background: After studying physics at the United States Air Force Academy, I specialized in optical engineering in Barcelona and eventually created ASE Optics Europe in 2011. We started out focussing on optical design consulting. But, pushed by our customers, we began building optical systems and it soon became apparent that to make a sustainable business we would need to develop our own optical systems assembly capacity for series production. Since then, our workforce has grown to +20, and we now develop and sell robust, high-precision optical imaging systems and laser-based industrial inspection systems used in harsh environments and in areas such as defence & security, space applications or semicon.
A muti-disciplinary approach: Making optical systems requires a diverse, multi-disciplinary team, and one of our main challenges has been to consolidate a team capable of working together to make cost effective, quality systems. Diversity within our company has helped us drive innovation, relate better to customers, suppliers and stakeholders from different cultures and overall make for a great working environment. What’s key in photonics, as in any field, is that once you get a great hire it’s important to make them feel challenged by working on exciting projects to enable them to grow professionally within a great team.
Suppliers: Photonic systems require many different types of components, systems and expertise, but not all suppliers are specialized in our niche optics and photonics products. So, what we’ve found is that building a good relationship with a supplier requires effort from our side to align their capabilities to our needs. With our suppliers, we keep an open mind and look for the best products that fit our solutions for a particular product and that could be anywhere in the world. And we are also able to learn a lot from them.
Customers: Our customers are generally knowledgeable about photonics, and together we can build custom solutions geared for their market. If there is optics that can provide an advantage, then we have a good win-win business case. That said, trying to sell the benefits of photonics, per se, is probably not the best approach. We all want to solve our pain points, and if it is through photonics, great. Focusing on the solution is, for me, the best way to truly establish great long-term relationships that increase business.
The future: Optics is very horizontal in its application across industries, so a lot of the lessons learned from different areas have great applicability in different markets, and this cross-fertilization among markets allows for an innovative optics company to position itself well in new, growing markets. Looking forward areas of growth with great opportunities for optics technologies may be found in new space and the uptake of Quantum Optics. Being agile, fast and cost-effective, turning products in less than a year, with the possibility of series production is key to attack these growing markets. Innovative SMEs are well suited for this challenge.
Andrés Cifuentes
CEO, ASE Optics Europe
