June 10, 2020 (updated June 04, 2021)

EPIC Online Technology Meetings

Since the events calendar effectively became ‘razed to the ground’ due to the spread of the Covid-19 virus, that whole infrastructure around trade show events has been trying hard to make up the gap – that is, to bridge the chasm that now exists between manufacturers and their customers. For companies like ficonTEC, the events formed a significant source of fresh leads.

Enter EPIC, the European Photonics Industry Consortium. Since around the beginning of April 2020, EPIC has been hosting so-called Online Technology Meetings, comprising around 5 to 8 presentations, a number of ‘active participants’, and a larger number of passive viewers watching the live stream on the EPIC channel on YouTube. They are small affairs, with everyone still rolling up the learning curve, and better audience integration needed – but, by working the networking opportunities presented, undoubtedly effective. As of Summer 2021, EPIC is continuing with the series.

You can see our contributions to the Season 1 in 2020 meetings by viewing them online:

• Photonics Packging & Testing, from April 24
• LIDAR Technology and Applications, from April 14
• Automotive Lighting, from May 27
• VCSEL Technology & Applications, from May 29
• Co-packaged Optics, from June 8

OTMs from Fall 2020 now use a format that attempts to bring the end-users to the speaker podium, thus closing the all-important loop re. requirements of the end-user industry.