Andreas Thoss

The European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC) Technology Meeting on Photonics for Space and New Space at the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) revealed a sector in transition. As astronomers continue to push the boundaries of observation, industry is preparing for satellite constellations and their payloads. The only question is whether European suppliers can scale fast enough. By Andreas Thoss A Laser Beam Over Potsdam Every conference needs a highlight.

By Andreas Thoss After nine years as CEO, Stefan Traeger left Jenoptik this winter, having reshaped it from a diversified conglomerate into a focused photonics company. In this conversation, Traeger explains how an unconventional approach helped to transform Jenoptik’s culture from within. Reflecting on leadership, cultural change, and why internal communication became his most powerful lever, Traeger reveals why a CEO’s most powerful tool isn’t strategy — it’s culture.

Lasers enabled modernized, automated production of cars, smartphones, and microprocessors. Now, in the age of AI, their importance for higher productivity continues to increase. ANDREAS THOSS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR When James Hargreaves, from Lancashire, England, invented the Spinning Jenny in 1764 — a machine operated by a single worker using eight or more spindles at one time — it marked the beginning of the First Industrial Revolution.