INTERVIEW
investing even when individual markets slow down. Being private also allows us to maintain a diversified portfolio. We do not have to chase whichever market happens to be growing fastest at a particular moment. We can continue investing across our five major markets even when one of them is temporarily weaker. The same applies to inventory. During slower periods, rather than necessarily reducing inventory, we may decide to increase it so that when demand returns, our customers can find the products they need immediately. For me, this ability to make decisions with a longer horizon is one of the greatest strengths of remaining a privately held family company.
From your perspective, what have been the main changes in the field over the past decade? One of the major changes has been the growing visibility of photonics. For many years, people outside our field did not necessarily understand how fundamental optics and photonics are to so many technologies. Over the past several years, that has begun to change. COVID was an important example. It highlighted the role of optics in biomedical instrumentation and diagnostic systems. During that period, our business increased by almost 30 %, largely because of the demand for PCR and other testing equipment. The photonics technologies were already available and could be deployed very rapidly to address an urgent global need. More recently, artificial intelligence and data centres have brought further attention to photonics. We are seeing the same trend in space, telecommunications, LiDAR and autonomous vehicles. In all these areas, photonics is increasingly recognized as an enabling technology. I fundamentally believe that the future depends on optics. Photonics will play a key role in addressing many of the major technological and societal challenges ahead. However, there is still a need to give optics and photonics greater visibility; the more effectively we can communicate what optics can do, the easier it will be to attract the necessary attention and accelerate the development of new solutions.
How do you adapt to these technological and market developments? The first answer is investment. We continue to invest in advanced manufacturing technologies and automation, but also in people and new areas of expertise. Artificial intelligence is a good example: we need to understand both how AI is changing our customers ' applications and how we can integrate it into our own organization and processes. We are also expanding our global infrastructure, with new distribution capabilities in the Netherlands and Japan. In today ' s geopolitical and trade environment, being able to serve customers rapidly from within their region is increasingly important. Speed and flexibility will also be key. Customers expect products to be available quickly, but increasingly they also need rapid customization. Our objective is therefore to combine manufacturing capabilities, technical expertise and a broad inventory to deliver the right products when and where our customers need them.
What are your main objectives over the next decade? I see significant opportunities for continued growth. Our objective is to grow the company by at least 10 % annually, whether organically, through partnerships and collaborations, or through acquisitions. Our vision is very clear: we want to be the world ' s most trusted photonics partner. We may not be the largest company, and there will always be highly specialized companies operating at the edge of particular technologies. What matters to us is being the partner our customers trust when they face difficult optical challenges. That means supporting them throughout the entire process, from design and prototyping to production, while continuing to invest in our people, manufacturing capabilities and technology. Trust is particularly important to me because it resonates strongly with our company values.
You are one of the few women leading a major company in optics and photonics. Has this experience influenced your approach to leadership? Being a woman in our industry has certainly given me a particular perspective, but I see it primarily as an opportunity. I have often been one of the only women in the room, whether at photonics events, on boards or in leadership meetings. Rather than viewing that negatively, I see it as an opportunity to chart new ground and encourage other women, and more broadly people from different backgrounds, to consider careers in our industry. It has also made me more aware of different perspectives and helped me understand the importance of building a diverse and inclusive community. This is particularly relevant in a global company, where understanding different cultures and expectations is essential. Being different has taught me to listen, adapt and sometimes work harder to make my perspective heard. It has also given me determination. I hope I can use that experience to help create an industry in which a broader range of people can see a place for themselves.
Finally, what advice would you give to young people considering a career in optics and photonics? I think the first step is to help young people find a connection between technology and what gives them a sense of purpose. We should ask them what matters most to them and show them how photonics can contribute to it. Whether their interest is sustainability, healthcare, autonomous vehicles, space or artificial intelligence, photonics can offer opportunities to work on issues that really matter to them. My other advice is to remain curious and volunteer for opportunities, particularly those that feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable. Students sometimes hesitate to raise their hand for something new because they feel they may not be ready. I would encourage them to do exactly the opposite and would tell them that“ When you feel uncomfortable, that ' s when you grow.” Those situations are often where you learn the most.
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