17 April 2012

European Photonics Industry Consortium appoints SEMI Europe’s director general Carlos Lee as its DG 

At its annual general meeting the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC) of Paris, France has announced that Carlos Lee has been appointed as its director general. He succeeds secretary general Thomas P. Pearsall, who has led the association since its founding in 2003.

Picture: Carlos Lee.

With 80 voting members and over 400 associate members, EPIC promotes sustainable growth for photonics industries and R&D organizations across Europe through initiatives to build revenues, improve access to R&D resources, and develop timely market and technology information. Members have played a leading role in creating and operating the European Technology Platform, Photonics-21, as well as European projects such as LIFT (for fiber laser development) and Nexpresso (which supports commercial innovation by SMEs).

Lee is currently director general at SEMI Europe (the European branch of global industry association Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International), where he leads the advocacy program. EPIC says that he has a background of 15 years in industry association management, with experience in building membership value through standardization, collaboration, networking platforms and events, and other activities of collective interest that benefit the industry at large.

“Carlos’ appointment comes at a time of growth for EPIC. Over the last years we have increased our work in supporting our members and their business and in developing photonics technologies and innovation both in Europe and worldwide,” says EPIC’s president Drew Nelson, CEO & president of epiwafer foundry and substrate maker IQE plc of Cardiff, Wales, UK. “Our objective is to build on this foundation, to further provide a strong platform supporting all actors and in particular SMEs [small and medium enterprises]. Carlos has a real passion for collaboration and is excellent at engaging members into working together to create value,” he adds.

“Carlos emerged as our first choice because of his experience and his energy to drive new initiatives to benefit our members,” comments Pearsall. “I will be working with Carlos throughout 2012 to help ensure a successful transition,” he adds.

“As director general I will further expand the solid value proposition for our members active in displays, lasers, lighting, optical fibers, optics, semiconductor, photovoltaics, sensors, telecommunication and other critical photonic-related fields,” said Lee during his address to the EPIC membership. “EPIC will open an office in Brussels. We will implement closer collaboration with the EU in order to better represent the interests of our members and photonics, a key enabling technology and future EU Public-Private Partnership.”

See related items:

IQE CEO Nelson elected as new president of EPIC

Tags: EPIC Photonics

Visit: www.epic-assoc.com