HiPPo Hosts Industry Day 2025
The Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton successfully hosted the HiPPo Industry Day on 4th March 2025, bringing together leading researchers and industry partners to discuss the latest advancements in high-power fibre laser technology. The event featured a packed agenda with three insightful sessions, a networking lunch and lab tours.
The day began with a warm welcome from Professor Sir David Payne, a pioneering figure in fibre optics. His introduction set the stage for an exciting discussion of cutting-edge developments in the HiPPo project.
Professor Michalis Zervas, who leads the project, presented an overview of recent breakthroughs, outlining the latest innovations and their impact on industrial applications.
Other presentations and talks were given by members of the team and included a discussion on specialty fibre development, shedding light on the materials and techniques driving next-generation optical performance.
Following a lunch break that provided guests with networking opportunities, the afternoon session featured a series of technical presentations. explored the capabilities of real-time adaptable fibre lasers, demonstrating their transformative potential for various industries. The final presentation discussed real-time monitoring and process control, highlighting advancements in automation and precision in laser applications. These were just a few of the exciting presentations given on the day.
The event concluded with an engaging poster session and lab tours, where attendees had the opportunity to explore the labs used by the HiPPo group at the ORC. The tours provided an up-close look at the cutting-edge research being conducted, with researchers on hand to answer questions and discuss potential collaborations.
Reflecting on the event, Michalis Zervas remarked, ""This year's event has been incredibly beneficial, significantly strengthening our relationships with industrial partners. It provided an outstanding opportunity to share novel experimental results and encouraged rich discussions about the potential for more profound future collaborations. The advancements made in our project this year in fibre materials and fundamentals, new wavelengths, beam shaping techniques, and machine learning laser and laser process control have been remarkable, setting a new benchmark for success.""
The HiPPo Industry Day 2025 underscored the University of Southampton's commitment to pushing the boundaries of optical research, fostering collaboration between academia and industry, and paving the way for transformative innovations in fibre laser technology.