Inspiring moments. Powerful connections. Workforce promise.
AmeriCOM was energized to take part once again in the largest annual optics and photonics event of the year. SPIE Photonics West 2025 – which ran January 25-30 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center — was, as attendees have come to expect, a dazzling labyrinth of invention, illumination, live demos, and camaraderie.
It’s an exciting place to connect with peers and learn about the latest breakthroughs from researchers, innovators, engineers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.
“I enjoy catching up with colleagues and discovering new companies or products that I am unfamiliar with,” says attendee Justin Sigley, AmeriCOM Chief Scientist. “It’s also great to catch some of the technical talks and get a sneak peek for upcoming technologies.”
From its Global Business Forum to its job fair to its prestigious Prism Awards, Photonics West once again showed us all how the growing photonics sector is transforming the world and improving lives.
“SPIE Photonics West is the catalyst to bring people together, but it’s the dinner conversations, networking events, jam sessions, and chance encounters in the hotel lobby where connections are made, new ideas are discussed, and collaborations are formed.”
– Justin Sigley, AmeriCOM Chief Scientist
A high-profile debut for DPOC
This year, AmeriCOM was especially excited to introduce attendees to our member organization, Defense Precision Optics Consortium (DPOC). Created under the direction of Dave Shelton, who joined AmeriCOM in 2024 as president and CEO, DPOC is designed to spark new, mission-critical technologies and help the optics industry respond to the needs of the U.S. military. DPOC members have access to AmeriCOM’s COM-Lab, with state-of-the-art equipment to support projects in the precision optics field.
“This is the first Photonics West since AmeriCOM launched DPOC and COM-Lab,” says Sigley. “So, this was an ideal setting to spread the word about the resources and tools AmeriCOM is now making available.
“DPOC allows industry partners to gain access to a number of resources,” says Adam Dunn, AmeriCOM Program Manager. “That includes machines for rent in our lab, as well as many R&D programs that AmeriCOM sponsors.”
Interest in DPOC at the conference was enthusiastic.
Interested in joining DPOC? Click for membership information.
Our booth was a hive of activity
Attendees also showed great interest in AmeriCOM’s workforce development initiatives. This year, our booth served as a hub for our growing number of partner colleges. AmeriCOM now supports six training programs across the nation.
“There was a lot of interest in both DPOC as well as workforce development,” Dunn says, “and this is important because of how both sides of AmeriCOM’s mission, optics manufacturing process research and the development of a skilled workforce, support the growth of the precision optics industry in the U.S.”
APOMA brings us together, welcomes our CEO
A meeting of APOMA – the American Precision Optics Manufacturing Association – served as a productive gathering for all five AmeriCOM staff who went to Photonics West. AmeriCOM president and CEO Dave Shelton was presented as a new board member. Zach Hobbs of Sydor Optics was named APOMA’s new president. This year’s speakers included Tayyab Suuratwala from Lawrence Livermore National Labs, Patrick Augino from Optimax and representing OEOSC, and Alexis Vogt, Professor of Optics and the Endowed Chair of the Optical Systems Technology Program at Monroe Community College, and Workforce and Higher Education Executive Director at AmeriCOM.
Looking forward with gratitude to SPIE
Photonics West is always an inspiring time, and we have SPIE to thank for the hard work that goes into this extraordinary gathering and for being a great partner to AmeriCOM as we both seek to advance optics research and technologies. SPIE and AmeriCOM have a lot in common, including some of the best minds in the industry. AmeriCOM board chair Jessica DeGroot Nelson serves on the SPIE board, as does Alexis Vogt.
We were excited to learn that when Photonics West returns to the Moscone Center in January 2026, there’ll be a whole new avenue to explore with the debut of the Vision Tech Expo, an exhibit and industry program that will be dedicated to the vision and imaging markets. As machine vision technologies often rely on advancements in optics, lasers, and imaging systems, Vision Tech will showcase how technologies intersect and complement each other.