SPIE Matches U of A on Greivenkamp Scholarship: 08/12/22

SPIE matched the existing $35,000 endowment for the John E. Greivenkamp Endowed Scholarship in Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona’s Wyant College of Optical Sciences, bringing the fund to $70,000. The endowment supports Wyant third- and fourth-year undergraduate students with the stated additional goal of “instilling an appreciation of how the historical foundation of optics leads to future innovations in optical instruments.” Greivenkamp was a longtime professor at the University of Arizona and a former president of SPIE.

John Greivenkamp, speaking at a plenary session during 2021 SPIE Optics + Photonics. Courtesy of SPIE.

WESTLAKE, Ohio — Industrial equipment manufacturer Nordson Corp. will acquire optical technology company CyberOptics Corp. The acquisition enhances Nordson’s test and inspection platform, providing differentiated technology that expands Nordson’s product offering in the semiconductor and electronics industries. The all-cash transaction is valued at $54 per share, or approximately $380 million net of cash acquired. The transaction is expected to close in Nordson’s first quarter of fiscal year 2023.

KARLSRUHE, Germany — Physik Instrumente purchased an additional building close to its existing headquarters, to which it will move various global corporate functions. PI will also expand at its German sites in Eschbach and Lederhose, as well as at its international sites.

Physik Instrumente’s new Karlsruhe facility. Courtesy of Physik Instrumente.

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Bridger Photonics will deploy its airborne methane detecting laser technology in the Marcellus Shale with multi-energy company Repsol. The company’s gas mapping lidar technology simplifies the detection and visualization of methane emissions across the oil and gas industry. It uses laser sensors attached to small aircraft to image and measure methane emissions over oil and gas infrastructure. The aerial scanning technology covers large areas and detects over 90% of methane emissions in typical production basins.

OULU, Finland — Hyperspectral imaging company Specim opened a branch office in Germany, strengthening its presence in central Europe. The office hosts a demo center that allows customers and partners to get hands-on-training on Specim products and services. The office and demo center are located at Konica Minolta Sensing Europe facilities in Munich.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Molecular diagnostics company Nanopath closed a $10 million series A funding round that will support development and commercialization of the company's optical biosensing platform. The solution supports diagnoses of pelvic and gynecologic infections.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Q-State Biosciences received a Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The SBIR award and grant, titled “A phenotypic screen for compounds that differentially affect excitatory and inhibitory neuronal signaling,” and the third that the company has received in 2022, will support advancement of the company’s quantitative optical electrophysiology technology to identify central nervous system drug targets that modulate the balance of activity in excitatory and inhibitory neurons to treat human disease.

Leuze recently opened a production site in Malaysia. Courtesy of Leuze.

NEW HUDSON, Mich. — Sensor technology company Leuze opened its production site in Malaysia. The facility has 4500 sq m of space dedicated to production and warehouse logistics facilities, and 1000 sq m for administration purposes. The company has planned a second expansion phase.