Best Optics and Photonics Company of the Year

Jury motivation

Beamonics AB, a rising star in the photonics industry based in Lund, has rapidly distinguished itself through its innovative laser-based gas analysis technology. The company develops and manufactures Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS) systems for diverse applications, from emission monitoring to industrial process control.

PhotonicSweden is proud to award Beamonics AB this year’s Best Optics and Photonics Company prize. This award recognizes Beamonics’ as an excellent example of small photonic companies’ impressive ability to quickly transform advanced research into practical, commercially viable solutions. Furthermore, PhotonicSweden acknowledges Beamonics’ strong focus on environmental sustainability, evident in their technologies, helping industries minimize their impact and optimize resource use. This commitment to innovation and a cleaner future makes Beamonics a truly deserving recipient of this award.

Can Xu, CEO of Beamonics AB (left) accepts the award from Peter Strömberg, Acoem (chair of the committee).

Jury motivation

By awarding TYRI Sweden AB the award as the best optics and photonics company of the year, we want to draw attention to an endeavor that has been going on not only since TYRI Sweden was founded, but which started 20 years earlier. A quest to provide high-quality lighting to the harshest environments and working conditions. This has been a steadily growing success by working closely with customers and in close collaboration with key customers.

By using the latest technology TYRI is transforming the industry with efficient, intelligent lighting systems, which has in recent years resulted in accelerated growth and success.

PhotonicSweden would also like to point out the impact TYRI’s innovative intelligent lighting systems has had in improving the operators’ working conditions while enhancing safety in hazardous working environments.

Stuart Campbell (left) and Christian Wadell (middle) from TYRI accepts the award from Peter Strömberg, Acoem (chair of the committee).

Jury motivation

Eclipse Optics AB is the leading provider of optics and photonics design expertise in Sweden. Since the start almost 10 years ago Eclipse Optics AB has delivered hundreds of optical designs to companies in a wide range of areas such as automotive, life science, consumer electronics, energy and environment, safety, and surveillance.

PhotonicSweden, by awarding Eclipse Optics AB this years’ best optics and photonics company of the year prize, would like to recognize the impact on Sweden’s optics and photonic industry by a unique group of optics specialists with a wide-ranging competence. A competence spanning not only a broad range of areas such as optical design, lightning, camera technology, optical metrology, and sensing, but also deep knowledge in system design, from large volume consumer technology to specialized high performance equipment.

The work done by Eclipse Optics AB has contributed to raising the level of knowledge in the optics industry and introduced optics in new applications and to new companies in Sweden and internationally.

PhotonicSweden would also like to bring attention to the impact Eclipse Optics AB has had in the life sciences and environment areas, not only by suppling state of the art solutions to companies in the area but also by the pro bono grants Eclipse Optics AB are offering to small companies that have green ideas worth developing.

Lars Rymell, CEO at Eclipse Optics (left) accepts the award from Peter Strömberg, Acoem (chair of the committee).

Jury motivation

Qualisys AB is a leading provider of precision motion capture and 3D positioning tracking systems. For over 30 years, Qualisys AB have supplied research, engineering, and sports facilities with high-end camera systems and expertise in capturing and analyzing movements. With a focus on human and animal biomechanics, sports, and engineering, Qualisys products and solutions brings deeper knowledge, improved quality of life and better performance.

By awarding Qualisys AB this years’ Best optics and photonics company of the year prize, PhotonicSweden would like to recognize the strength of a company that over a long time has been working in close collaboration with academia and professionals globally to build state of the art solutions in a variety of fields and turning this knowledge of technology and customer needs into off-the shelf systems for a wide range of users. Excellent hardware and software technologies that combines to a complete solution, together with hard and persistent work, has led to an impressive growth and profitability.

Furthermore, by giving this award to Qualisys AB, PhotonicSweden also like to shine a light on the importance of photonics in the Swedish export industry. Qualisys AB, based in Gothenburg, but with offices in Europe, North America and Asia that supports a global network of partners and distributors, has been able to bring its products, knowledge, and expertise successfully throughout the world.

Fredrik Mueller, Qualisys AB (left) accepts the award from Peter Strömberg, Acoem (chair of the committee).

Due to Covid restrictions, there was no prize awarded in 2020.

Jury motivation

Aimpoint AB is the leading manufacturer and innovator of red dot sighting technology that has set a new standard for the shooting and hunting industry by simplify aiming while meeting the highest possible requirements for reliability and ruggedness.
PhotonicSweden by giving this years’ Best optics and photonics company of the year to Aimpoint AB would like to recognize the importance of how a small group of entrepreneurs can, by combining a genuine understanding of customer needs with simple yet brilliant optical design, create a world leading product. The company has for 40 years continued to develop the red dot sighting technology to remain at the forefront of the market and have now over 3 million users worldwide. Aimpoint AB is an excellent example of how small and medium sized companies in Sweden can reach a global market and remain a growing and profitable business over time.

Additionally, PhotonicSweden would also like to emphasis that Aimpoint AB, with facilities both in Gällivare in the furthest north and Malmö in the south, has spread the optical know-how around the country and shown how to successfully create and produce high quality optical systems in all parts of Sweden.

Jury motivation

Excillum AB, is the inventor of the world’s brightest microfocus X-ray tube. After years of painstaking research and development, Excillum AB has turned an innovative source technology into a product range of stable and reliable X-ray sources. The company’s product portfolio, initially small, has developed and expanded over time with higher acceleration voltages and further improved power-loading capabilities. PhotonicSweden by giving this years’ Best optics and photonics company of the year to Excillum AB would like to recognize the importance of combining deep knowledge in basic science with highly innovative technology.

Excillum is based in Kista, still a growing company, and with plentiful of highly competent people. Based on the MetalJet microfocus X-ray source technology the company has developed products that can generate more than 10 times the X-ray brightness of a conventional solid anode X-ray source.

Furthermore, by choosing Excillum AB as the photonics company of the year 2018 PhotonicSweden wishes to shine light on how innovation within photonics is going into new vistas – smarter applications at shorter wavelengths.

Björn Hansson, Excillum AB, accepts the award from Peter Strömberg, Acoem (chair of the committee).

Jury motivation

Thorlabs Sweden AB, a subsidiary of Thorlabs Inc., designs and manufactures a wide range of advanced optical systems, including Optical Spectrum Analyzers, Fabry-Perot interferometers, Beam Expanders, Objectives, and Collimation Packages, for worldwide distribution to companies and universities. With a modern cleanroom and specialized testing capabilities, Thorlabs Sweden AB is well suited for manufacturing and testing of high-end optical systems.
Located in Mölndal, just outside Gothenburg, the 40-person Thorlabs Sweden team is responsible for sales and technical support for the entire Thorlabs portfolio, which consists of over 20,000 items, in Scandinavia, the Baltic, and Poland.

During many years Thorlabs Sweden has developed advanced optical products on a high technical level and quality. These products get sent to companies and laboratories worldwide with high class optical solutions. Thorlabs Sweden has always great focus on the customer, which guaranteed a constant growth and profitable efficiency. This makes Thorlabs Sweden AB a good example on how Photonics in Sweden can compete in an international environment.

PhotonicSweden shows with the prize for the Best Optics and Photonics Company 2017 how successful Swedish companies can be in the field of photonics

Jury motivation

ADB SAFEGATE is a leading provider of intelligent solutions that deliver superior airport performance from approach to departure. The company partners with airports and airlines to analyze their current setup and operations, identify bottlenecks, and jointly solve them using a consultative approach that enables airports to improve efficiency, enhance safety and environmental sustainability, and reduce operational costs. The integrated portfolio includes solutions and services that harmonize airport performance, tackling every aspect of traffic handling and guidance, from approach, runway and taxiway lighting, to tower-based traffic control systems, and intelligent gate and docking automation. ADB SAFEGATE has more than 900 employees in more than 20 countries and operates in more than 175 countries, serving more than 2,000 airports.
ADB SAFEGATE has, among other things, developed innovative solutions for the docking of the aircraft at the gates based on laser radar technology and has developed robust LED-based positioning lights for runways.

ADB SAFEGATE innovative development of photonics solutions has contributed strongly to become the world leader in products and solutions for the safe and efficient navigation at airports. These solutions have resulted in a worldwide distribution of the company’s products and given ADB SAFEGATE steady growth and good profitability. The company’s products help to increase the safety of air traffic and its travelers as well as to reduce energy consumption at airports.

With this prize for the Best Optics and Photonics Company 2016, PhotonicSweden wants to show how successful Swedish companies can be in the field of photonics.

Jury motivation

Axis is a Swedish-based photonics company that has been driving the ongoing shift from analog to digital video surveillance. The company has offices in 49 countries around the world and works with a network of more than 75,000 partners in 179 countries. The company was founded in 1984 in the IT sector but today they have their core business in network cameras.

Through its strong expansion, Axis could almost double their of turnover to 5.4 billion, and more than double the number of employees from 2010 to 2014 to about 2 000 employees. Axis has shown that a distinctly innovative photonics company with roots in Sweden can succeed in a highly competitive market.

At the beginning of 2015, Axis was bought by the Japanese photonics company Canon and thereby it was confirmed that Axis has a leading position in its field. Canon, as a new owner of Axis, decided in summer 2015 to start construction of Axis’ new headquarters in Lund in the beginning of 2016, with space for 1,100 employees, which is scheduled for completion in 2018. This will ensure continued growth in Sweden with focus on research and development.

Furthermore, Axis has long had close cooperation with Lund University of Technology and Lund University. By every year, offering master thesis work for engineering students, Axis has demonstrated the strength of close cooperation between industry and academia.

With this prize for the Best Optics and Photonics Company 2015, PhotonicSweden wants to show how successful Swedish companies can be in the field of photonics and that foreign ownership can create new domestic conditions for growth of Swedish companies.

Jury motivation

Airborne Hydrography AB (AHAB) is a Swedish company with cutting edge technology within the field of photonics, that develops and markets airborne measurement system based on LIDAR technology.

The technology makes it possible to quickly and efficiently map land topography in 3-dimensions. They have also developed a unique technology to create 3-dimensional images of ocean and lake bottoms. Their system sends out laser pulses and uses advanced optoelectronics to collect the reflected pulses. AHAB has also developed its own advanced algorithms and software to convert the optical measurement signal to geometric information. The systems are used e.g. to measure coastal erosion, but can also be used to create charts.

During the past year, AHAB launched a new generation of systems, Hawkeye III, with an even better performance. Meanwhile, the company has significantly increased turnover and sales. AHAB has, by combining advanced optoelectronics, in the form of laser scanners, multi-sensor technology and signal processing, managed to create a measurement system that at an international comparison is at the forefront and thus shown what is possible to achieve today within remote geo-measurement technology.

Due to their success, the company recently has been bought by the Swedish industrial group Hexagon, which also includes Leica Geosystems.

Jury motivation

CellaVision is the world leader in digital microscopy used for hematology. Since it was founded in 1994, it has developed into an important player in the field of laboratory medicine and the company supplies its product to commercial laboratories and hospital laboratories all over the world. CellaVision is well on the way in establishing a global standard for digital microscopy. During recent years CellaVision has also proved that it can increase its turnover while keeping good profitability.

In 2012 CellaVision increased the number of sales partners and now has agreements with several major players in the market. Together with a broader product portfolio, including launch of two new products during the year, this gives CellaVision a stable base for continued profitable growth. CellaVision is a good example showing that Swedish biophotonics has a great potential

Jury motivation

Neonode is the world leader in its field – touch solutions based on optical IR technology. The innovative and patented optical IR technology is currently used in mobile phones, tablets and other devices with touchscreens. Neonode has an impressive set of clients including Sony, Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. In 2011, Neonode signed a number of key customer contracts while sales more than doubled. The company went from basically being an unknown player to dominate the market for touch-solutions for e-readers. Neonode is an excellent example of the fact that Sweden can create successful new businesses based on advanced optics and photonics.