Pre Learning Journey 2: Qioptiq

Introduction to Qioptiq
Qioptiq designs and manufactures photonic products and solutions that service a wide range of industries and sectors from medical to the defense sector. Qioptiq is a global player in the photonics industry with worldwide operations with 2100 employees around the world, generating a revenue of $380 million in the year 2010. Qioptiq being a large and experienced company in the industrial manufacturing sector plays a pivotal role in servicing not just the services sector, but aids too in the Research and Development centre, providing logistical needs for laboratories and companies.

Reflections:

Being passionate about the medical sciences, the company's service to the medical industry is certainly applicable to my interests. The company is at the forefront of technology with new products in optical imaging produced used in complicated medical procedures such as endoscopy and x-ray imaging, which i would be interested to find out more about. Moreover, the physics syllabus in our school does cover a portion of photonics, and students can connect with the company in terms of applying what they have learnt in class to a real life situation. this makes it all the more intriguing and interesting since we are able to see how the theories of photonics learnt in class have practical purposes, and understand how they are applied.

Qioptiq wowed me generally in terms of the variety of products and industries it is able to cater to and provide products and services for. The first thing that wowed me was Qioptiq's recognition of youth talent and nurturing youth to take on the challenges of the future. 

Taken from Qioptiq's Press Release "Qioptiq supports young scientists with the German
national scholarship program":

"Johannes Blümel is the first student to be

supported by optics specialist Qioptiq as part of the Federal government's

"Deutschlandstipendium" national scholarship program. The trained optician

from Landshut is currently in his third semester of a mechatronics course at

the Fachhochschule Deggendorf (Deggendorf University of Applied Sciences).

He will soon receive 300 EUR per month, half of which is financed by the

Federal government and the other half by Qioptiq."

As such, we can see that Qioptiq is committed and concerned about youth and the role they play in the future of the world,, which wowed me  since it is not as common for companies to provide such support for younger researchers for their project. I believe that nurturing talent for the future and giving youth greater opportunities to expand their research and learning is a great decision and one that earns my respect and awe, and i would hope to be considered for a similar scholarship in the future.

Also, what wowed me was how Qioptiq's defence producted were able to effectively answer to the needs of the defence industry and provide solutions for common problems faced by the army and those using the weopons and detection systems that they manufacture. The products looked high-tech and very cool. Also, a quote from the spokesperson that the company "develops products on use feedback" certainly is commendable and speaks of the company's commitment to consumer satisfaction.

Before the research i believed that the company merely produced what i thought most photonics companies would, just some lenses and machinery used in optical industries, and thought there was not much the company could offer in terms of innovation. However, after the research i viewed the company as multi-faceted and very broad and innovative, able to produce so many products to cater to most optical needs in the industry beyond simply lenses and lasers, and i was more intrigued to find out the operations of the company.

I hope to learn much more about Qioptiq's products and probably the manufacturing and innovation processes that go into making their products, and about the applications of their products in our lives. i believe that i can benefit much from getting first hand insight onto the operations of the company as opposed to simply reading about scientific theories and not seeing them practised before my eyes. I hope to make the best of my trip to the company.