please
While these M&A deals differ in their specific goals and benefits, all have the same strategic objective: implement the photonic shift.
or
"Revolutions typically start imperceptibly," John Kelly (head of IBM Research) said. "A shift takes place out of plain sight, but it sets in motion a series of actions and reactions. Eventually, a pattern begins to emerge. Then it gains momentum. So it will be with datacentric computing." (thanks go to McWitty)
News over the past months emphasize this trend.
Industry:
Dec 2, 2014 (Reuters) - Cypress Semiconductor Corp will buy peer Spansion Inc for $1.59 billion in stock to create a flash-memory chipmaker with more than $2 billion in annual revenue. (thanks go to Mosca)
25 Nov 2014 LOWELL, Mass. - M/A-COM targets expansion with $230M BinOptics deal
20 Oct 2014 ARMONK, N.Y., and SANTA CLARA, Calif., :- GLOBALFOUNDRIES to Acquire IBM's Microelectronics Business
15 Oct 2014 MADISON, Wis. — Qualcomm Inc., the world's largest cellphone chip vendor, has agreed to buy CSR for £1.57 billion ($2.5 billion) to strengthen its presence in the Internet of Things. ( (thanks go to Rainer)
Sept 29, 2014 Bernin, France, and Richardson, Texas - acquisition by INTELLIEPI of the gallium arsenide (GaAs) epitaxy business from Soitec’s specialty electronics subsidiary
Institutions & national R&D fundings
3 Nov 2014 — SINGAPORE $100M Photonics Institute Launched in Singapore
http://www.photonics.com/Article.aspx?AID=56844
6 Nov 2014 — US launches $220M photonics foundry funding competition.
http://optics.org/news/5/11/9
and going one step beyond
26 Nov 2014 - The UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has selected the four UK universities that will co-ordinate the injection of £270 million in research funding for quantum technologies.
http://optics.org/news/5/11/42
30 Oct 2014 — Canada - NRC launches quantum photonics technology program
http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/news/releases/2014/quantum_photonics.html
and
Projected Demand for Workers in Photonics-Enabled Technologies
Rapid growth in the number and complexity of photonics and photonics-enabled technologies has caused the demand for technicians to exceed supply. The number of college degrees in engineering is decreasing, causing fierce competition for the relatively small pool of qualified optics technicians and engineers. A recent survey of employers showed that the number of U.S. technical jobs in photonics and photonics-enabled technologies is expected to grow more than 800 per year on average through 2017. Clearly, the current supply of qualified graduates of two-year postsecondary programs falls far short of industry demand.
National Center for Optics and Photonics Education, OP-TEC,
http://www.op-tec.org/index-1.php
Cheers
