Torsten holds a Diploma for Applied Laser Technologies from the University of Applied Sciences in Emden, Germany in 1998. During further work at the Institute of Laser Technology in Emden and at the University of Loughborough, UK, he built a fully automated laser lithography system for rapid generation of microstructures in sub-micron dimensions. He also developed a process to generate the world’s first in-glass diffractive optics using ion exchange processes in gradient refractive index glass – a process that is still used today for the generation of waveguides in glass.
Torsten is Chief Executive Officer of ficonTEC and, together with CFO Matthias Trinker, one of the co-founders of the company. When founding the company in 2001, the goal was to provide fully and semi-automated assembly and test solutions for the photonics industry.
View the interview for Torsten’s EPIC CEO Award 2021 here.
ConnectWhile Matthias originally hoped to become a professional skier, several injuries in his younger years eventually forced him to realize that he had to look for a new challenge. He started with an apprenticeship in retail sales for a sports equipment supplier, but being a qualified ski instructor at the time, Matthias was also able to work as an instructor in parallel to this, as well as during his scholastic and university education.
From there he progressed on to, and finally graduated from the Bundeshandelksakademie für Berufstätige – a form of further education Business School for those already employed – and then cemented his initial financial education with a degree in Business Economics through joint studies at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria, and at the PFH Private University of Applied Sciences in Göttingen, Germany.
Between completing his degree in 1997 and before co-founding ficonTEC together with Torsten in 2001, Matthias worked as a financial controller for Siemens Thailand, based out of Bangkok. Matthias is Chief Financial Officer at ficonTEC and is actively involved in the on-going financial growth and organizational expansion of the company.
ConnectDr. Jun Dai is Managing Director at ficonTEC Service GmbH and works closely with the management team to drive technological innovation and product standardization, further strengthening the company’s position as a global benchmark for silicon photonics manufacturing solutions.
Before joining ficonTEC in 2023, he founded RoboTechnik Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (300757.SZ) in 2011 and successfully led the company to a public listing in 2019.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Jun Dai gained extensive experience in multinational leadership through roles at Fortune 500 companies, including Dove Group (USA), Henkel Group (Germany), as well as various Israeli technology enterprises. These roles shaped his expertise across semiconductor equipment, advanced materials, and industrial software ecosystems.
Dr. Jun Dai holds a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from City University of Hong Kong, an MBA from Fudan University (2006), and a bachelor’s degree in Material Science & Engineering from Harbin University of Science and Technology (1996).
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Stefano has a PhD in Physics from the University of Parma, Italy. After various regional and international managerial roles in Sales & Marketing within Italy in his early career, starting around 2002 Stefano was elevated to directorship roles within Sales & Marketing at NI, based in Austin, TX/USA. From there he progressed to Director – Science & Big Physics, where he was responsible in particular for profitably developing their offering and support for key international scientific R&D and so-called Big Physics (USDoE, CERN, ESRF, ITER, ELI and others). Since 2012 Stefano has been Vice President of (in order) Scientific Research, Automotive & Energy Initiatives, and Automotive at NI, logging various strategic developments and financial achievements across an international customer base.
Before moving to ficonTEC, Stefano helped successfully guide the expansion of Eldor Corporation SpA (an Italian-based and diversified automotive manufacturer) into the USA.
Stefano started at ficonTEC Service GmbH as Corporate Vice President in Q3 2019 and was charged with helping ficonTEC prepare for the next growth phase. Starting from 2022, Stefano is CEO of ficonTEC, Inc., ficonTEC’s new US operations based out of UCF/CREOL.
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Simon gained a Diploma degree in Microsystems Engineering from the University of Applied Sciences Bremen in 2005. Following that he worked at Trioptics GmbH on the development of optical measurement systems for the mobile phone industry, before (from 2010 and due to rapid company growth) subsequently establishing a global service organization as Head of Customer Service.
From 2013, he additionally assumed responsibility as Head of Quality Management at Trioptics, where he was responsible for the implementation of a quality management system according to ISO 9001, which included the optimization of all company processes. In 2015 Simon transitioned to a role as Deputy Head of Sales, a position he held until mid-2018 before deciding to leave Trioptics after 13 years for a new challenge.
Upon moving to Automated Engineering, Inc. (a.k.a. AEi, a MYCRONIC AB subsidiary), Simon initially took on the role of Director of Sales Europe, but was given additional responsibility in early 2020 as Director of Sales China & Southeast Asia. For all of his roles at AEi, Simon’s principal remit was Business Development for optical metrology and for manufacturing systems for the automotive industry.
Starting 2022, Simon is Director Global Business Development at ficonTEC Service GmbH, with Headquarters in Achim/Germany.
ConnectMalte Ennen brings a wealth of expertise and experience to his role. Graduating from Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg in 2017, he specialized in engineering physics and photonics, gaining deep insights into system design and laser microprocessing through extensive academic research.
After his transition from academia, Malte joined Pulsar Photonics as a Technical System Architect, where he contributed significantly to the development of customized laser machines for microprocessing applications. He then moved to SmarAct’s metrology division, where he worked as a Sales Engineer and Operations Business Lead. During this time, he focused on solutions for semiconductor and fundamental research applications, further sharpening his technical and customer engagement skills.
Since joining ficonTEC in 2022, Malte has taken on a growing strategic role. Now responsible for Business Development Photonics, he plays a pivotal part in identifying customer needs and industry trends across sectors such as data centers, autonomous driving, photonics, and AR/VR. He works closely with clients to develop tailored assembly and testing solutions and fosters collaborative partnerships that advance innovation in integrated photonics.
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Andon Bano brings a unique combination of technical expertise and entrepreneurial drive to his role. He holds a PhD in Metrology from Politecnico di Torino, where his research focused on fiber-optic sensor technology, plasmonics, and their application in biomedical and environmental monitoring. Prior to that, he completed a Master’s degree in Devices and Technologies for Integrated Electronics and Optoelectronics, also at Politecnico di Torino.
After completing his studies, Andon began his industry career at Menlo Systems, working as an International Sales Engineer for femtosecond laser systems. In this role, he supported a diverse range of customers across the globe, gaining valuable experience in ultrafast optics and photonics applications.
A strong believer in innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration, Andon co-founded aivalanche, a deep-tech startup developing AI-driven tools for photonics and semiconductors. His entrepreneurial mindset is also shaped by his time at CDI Labs, where he gained early exposure to commercializing high-tech solutions and navigating fast-paced startup environments.
Since joining ficonTEC in 2023, Andon has taken on progressively strategic roles within the company. As of July 2025, he serves as Head of Sales for the European region, where he leads commercial efforts across key markets. Drawing from his technical foundation and customer-first approach, he works closely with photonics and semiconductor companies to deliver advanced automation solutions for assembly and testing. His focus lies in building strong partnerships, identifying emerging needs, and supporting the industrialization of next-generation photonic technologies.
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Moritz holds a Master’s degree from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, UK, a Diploma degree from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, as well as a PhD from Bremen University, Germany – all in the field of semiconductor optics.
He spent most of the following ten years working in the field of organic and inorganic semiconductor optics, ranging from basic research of light-matter interaction phenomenon to photonics product assembly.
Moritz joined ficonTEC in 2012, has been Manager R&D since 2014 and Director R&D since 2023, located within ficonTEC HQ in Achim, Germany.
ConnectSebastian Glass has been working at ficonTEC, a leading company in mechanical engineering and automation, for almost 20 years. Since January 2025, he has been serving as Director of Operations, playing a key role in the strategic and operational leadership of the company.
His career at ficonTEC began in 2005 as a Customer Support Engineer in Bremen, where he developed his technical skills through direct customer support. Between July 2009 and November 2021, Sebastian held various leadership positions in customer support and production – most recently as Production Manager in Achim, Lower Saxony. In this role, he was responsible for optimizing manufacturing processes and leading production teams.
From October 2021 to January 2023, he led cross-departmental technical projects as Technical Lead and Manager of Systems Engineering. He applied his extensive knowledge in systems engineering, technical support, and mechanical engineering to drive innovative solutions and foster collaboration between teams.
Sebastian Glass is distinguished by his many years of experience in technical project management, his leadership skills, and his ability to practically solve complex technical challenges. His career at ficonTEC demonstrates his strong expertise in technical support, process optimization, and team leadership – key competencies that he continues to leverage successfully in his current role as Director of Operations.
Soon has an MBA from the University of California at Irvine (UCI), a PhD/MSEE in Quantum Electronics, and a BS in Physics from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He has worked in the photonics/opto-electronics industry for over 27 years, during which he has gathered a unique combination of broad technical expertise and diverse business management experience in the field. Soon has additionally led various fiber-optics industry standardization committees, and co-developed various device technology programs with major universities and related renowned research institutions.
Between 2007 and 2021, Soon Jang was responsible for ficonTEC’s successful North America business operations, including Sales, Marketing and Business Development. With the new formation of ficonTEC’s US operations starting 2022, Soon will continue to provide vital Business Development and Key Account Support in the region at least through 2026.
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Alex holds a Master’s Degree in IT and has more than 10 years of experience in the semiconductor conductor (IC testing and burn-in) and also more than 10 years of experience in photonics automation systems and components, especially for telecom, datacom and HPDL. He initially started working with ficonTEC in 2003 and was responsible for the first of ficonTEC’s customers in China in 2004.
Since joining as General Manager of ficonTEC China, located in Shanghai, China, Alex has been responsible for Sales & Marketing of ficonTEC’s products and the growth of ficonTEC within China.
ConnectJüri graduated with a Diploma in Engineering from Tallinn Technical University, Tallinn, Estonia, in 1984. Following this he worked within the telecommunications industry for many years in management and production roles in different countries around the world. From 1999 he worked for Telecom Operator Elisa and T2, as Director of Network and Member of the Board, where his main responsibilities were GSM/UMTS/4G radio network operations and development of the Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania markets. Before joining ficonTEC, he worked from 2012 until 2016 as Executive Director for JOT Estonia Ltd., a Finnish company representation in Tallinn, Estonia.
Jüri took the role of ficonTEC Eesti Operational Manager in Tallinn, Estonia, in 2017.
ConnectKitisak holds a BE in Electronic Engineering and has more than 10 years of experience in electronics manufacturing. He joined ficonTEC in 2013 and was responsible for the first of ficonTEC’s customers in Thailand, and since then he has been responsible for Service and Support of ficonTEC’s products and the growth of ficonTEC within Thailand.
Kitisak is the General Manager of ficonTEC Service (Thailand) Limited, located in Pathum Thani Province, Thailand.
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