Photonics industry heavyweights and budding spinoffs alike are poised to compete for this year’s Prism Awards for Photonics Innovation. Dubbed the “Oscars of Photonics,” the Prism Awards is an international competition that celebrates innovation and honors new product inventions in the global photonics arena. Entries are being accepted through Sept. 14, 2012, and will be judged by an independent panel of judges – all regarded as experts in their fields. Finalists will be announced in November, and winners will receive their awards in February 2013 at a lavish VIP ceremony during Photonics West in San Francisco. “Winning the Prism Award added an extra level of endorsement to the uniqueness of our product and expedited its market visibility greatly,” said Uri Abrams, President of New Jersey-based PD-LD Inc. “It brings credibility and recognition to the industry.” “As a young company on the market with a new technology, this award means a lot to us,” said Joerg Wertli, Sales Manager of Switzerland-based Optotune AG. “It is an important milestone in our effort to create new markets with our innovation.” Introduced in 2008, the Prism Awards recognize the most innovative technology within the multibillion-dollar optics and photonics industry. Past winners include market industry leaders IPG Photonics, Edmund Optics, General Electric and Coherent, as well as university spin-offs such as JenLab, WITec and nanoplus. A joint collaboration of publishing powerhouse Photonics Media and renowned international society for optics and photonics SPIE, the Prism Awards categories include Defense and Security; Detectors, Sensing, Imaging and Cameras; Green Photonics and Sustainable Energy; Industrial Lasers; Information and Communication; Life Sciences and Biophotonics; Optics and Optical Components; Other Light Sources; Scientific Lasers; and Test, Measurement, Metrology. For more information, visit: www.Photonics.com/PrismAwards. About Photonics Media Photonics Media, a brand of Pittsfield, Mass.-based Laurin Publishing Co. Inc., publishes Photonics Spectra, BioPhotonics, EuroPhotonics, Photonics.com and the Photonics Buyers’ Guide, which grew out of the Optical Industry Directory, first published in 1954. With a collective subscriber base of more than 150,000 worldwide and more than 4 million unique website visits per year, Laurin Publishing’s Photonics Media products and publications lead the photonics industry with editorial excellence and integrity – fostering a tradition of innovation and progress by sharing knowledge, insights and visions for the future. About SPIE SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. The Society serves nearly 225,000 constituents from approximately 150 countries, offering conferences, continuing education, books, journals and a digital library in support of interdisciplinary information exchange, professional growth and patent precedent. SPIE provided more than $2.7 million in support of education and outreach programs in 2011.