Kawasaki, Japan – Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has launched a five-year, next-generation laser development program as joint efforts between its R&D departments and nine industrial companies, according to the July 15th edition of Metalworking Insiders' Report.

London, U.K. – Midaz Lasers has successfully demonstrated laser amplifier modules for amplification of CW and pulsed seed lasers with extremely high gain at 1064 nm. Midaz claims that its technology is generic and that it could be used to amplify a variety of laser platforms (e.g. bulk or fiber).

Puchheim, Germany – Founded in 1990 as an alternative to the monopolists of that era, SCANLAB AG has grown from a modest beginning into a leading OEM manufacturer of scan solutions for the deflection and positioning of laser beams in three dimensions. The company has more than 100 employees and annual sales exceeding €35 million.

Collegno (TO), Italy – Prima Industrie has been awarded the Italian Prize in Mechatronics, organized and promoted by the Employers' Association of Reggio Emilia, Italy. The aim of the Award, now in its fourth edition, is to promote the national companies able to develop innovative products that contribute to the technological evolution in their field due to mechatronic solutions.

Munich, Germany - Four fully occupied exhibition halls and the Munich International Congress Center will become the international meeting-point for optical technologies from May 23 to 26, 2011, when the LASER World of PHOTONICS trade fair will take place. In 2009, it attracted 1,034 exhibitors and 25,365 visitors.

Minneapolis, Minn. – Productivity Inc., a machine tool distributor serving the upper Midwest, is now the exclusive U.S. distributor of Swiss Tec laser micromachining systems. Swiss Tec machines are high-end laser cutting machines, primarily focused on fine tube and sheet cutting with fiber laser, picosecond and femtosecond laser beam delivery.

Southampton, UK – SPI Lasers has announced that it will apply CE Marking on all redPOWER "R4" CW/M and redEnergy "G3" pulsed products after successfully completing a comprehensive program.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – IMRA America Inc. is celebrating its 20-year anniversary as a research and development company in the field of fiber lasers. Scientists there have developed more than150 patented inventions over the last two decades.

Livingston, UK –Edinburgh Instruments (EI), a manufacturer of photonics and electro-optics equipment and systems, has announced the appointment of Alan Faichney to the board as CEO, effective June 14, 2010.

Paris, France - EPIC, The European Photonics Industry Consortium has released its Report on Photovoltaics: PV Market Overview 2009. The report, which is distributed exclusively to EPIC members, says that worldwide sales of photovoltaic panels reached $US 37.2 billion in 2009.