Laura A. Smoliar, Ph.D., CEO, Mobius Photonics, Inc.

Given current global economic challenges, we expect 2009 to be a time where strong equipment makers focus on development of next-generation products with new technologies so that they can capture market share when the economy rebounds. We also expect to see consolidation in established market areas and more entrants in growing market sectors, such as solar. Lasers will have many opportunities for design wins in the 2009 development cycle, especially if they can outpace the reliability and performance of current offerings.

This means that lasers for semiconductor, solar, and other electronics materials processing must address increasing demands for efficiency and lower cost of ownership while providing better value in terms of enabling higher throughput. Scalable platforms with flexibility and field serviceability will be essential to high-volume manufacturers looking to keep production costs in check while shaving time to market entry.

Mobius Photonics will work with strategic clients in the equipment space to develop new material processing capabilities, new applications, and new markets. By working closely, processing equipment can be designed to take full advantage of the new capabilities that lasers afford. Although it will take some time for the economics of certain business sectors to gain full momentum, we will continue to build our business in applications where Mobius’ products are now qualified. This will enable us to be ready to meet customer demand as it occurs.