We have been talking a lot about business in recent times. Many of us have the misfortune to suffer from the problems related to the slowdown in the telecom machinery. Our hope is focussed on upward projections and predictions whose accuracy is unclear. So let me go back to the basic fundamentals of LEOS. In my opinion we have a very solid foundation that is based on science and technology and these two basic elements of our platform are prospering as never before. Yes, I believe that science and technology generates business. Long ago somebody discovered how to make glass and subsequently windows and mirrors are being manufactured, sold and purchased. I am also quite convinced that we are far from approaching a dead end; we are certainly not working in the area of vacuum tube electronics. One of the specific characteristics of telecommunications is that transformations from one generation of systems to the following sometimes go so fast that industry has trouble both in recovering the costs of development and making a profit as well. The good news is that telecommunications is among the areas in which innovations are easily recognised by society. Clearly each new generation has quite a different relationship with methods of communication. For example, teenage girls SMS’ing all day long was unheard of to their older sisters. The following step is the sharing of high quality colour pictures and video clips and these services will generate more demands for bandwidth.

The need for transmission capacity is increasing faster than Moore’s law, but customers expect their increased demands to be met for the same price. One of the challenges here is therefore to design systems that can offer more capacity without resulting in higher costs. An increase in transmission speed is one of the most well-known, often-implemented and successful options. At the moment, there are systems with a speed of 40 Gbit/s on the market. Responding to the needs of the new services mentioned earlier, future speeds will approach several Tbit/s, and the total capacity per glass fibre can be further increased when combined with wavelength multiplexing. The total capacity of a single glass fibre may ultimately reach 800 Tbit/s and this presents a fine challenge to researchers, combining the best of time-domain and wavelength-domain technologies. The processing of signals with higher speeds is particularly tricky; one may need to apply optical techniques pervasively.

The ever-increasing speeds in transmission links and switches automatically create a need for ever-shorter pulses. Our present knowledge of optical components tells us that picosecond pulses can be generated and processed. To be able to operate in the future with femtosecond pulses we have to exploit physical mechanisms that are relatively new to telecommunication systems and components. It has become clear that these superfast qualities required do indeed exist in some photonic components. The challenge is thus to translate these qualities into optical pulses that are generated and manipulated with a small amount of energy. Subsequently we must invent functional components that can realise the desired operations. Finally, those components must be combined in an optical IC. Within this area, familiar components such as flip flops, switches, buffers are reinvented, but now these components fully operate in the optical domain.

Nature has endowed materials with specific characteristics. Metals and semiconductors have special characteristics which are used by scientists to create structures and components. Unfortunately these components and structures often cannot be improved using the inherent characteristics. The design of the present-day optical glass fibres and optical chips is based, for the greater part, on the refractive indexes of glass and semiconductors. Present-day optical chips are using waveguides that are created by index differences, and this offers only limited possibilities to control the guiding. Glass fibres cannot be easily improved because all traditional parameters have already been fully exploited. The following generations of glass fibre and optical chips must therefore create artificial characteristics for materials, which is made possible by photonic crystals. In principle, light in chips can then be channelled more precisely and in any direction, so the guiding structures can be optimised more easily, dimensions of the components can be significantly reduced and operating speeds can be enhanced. Light in glass fibres can be transported along new structures, creating new opportunities to tailor optical pulse properties during transmission.

Line-bound transmission and radio communications are often seen as separate disciplines. Most users are not aware that the signals between mobile callers are actually mostly transferred via glass fibres. The frequencies used for radio communications will move towards higher values owing to the increasing need for capacity, which implies that the area served by a single station will become smaller. Particularly in the work environment, the small radio cells will be served by frequencies in the region of several tens of Gigahertz. These cells will need to be interconnected via an optical network. Coming generations of telecommunication networks will thus increasingly become hybrid networks. Both the design and realisation of such networks will be handled via a single approach, combining the best of wireless and wired technologies.

Other good news is that more collaborative efforts are being pursued in our field of science and technology. The LEOS field is fast becoming more complex so it makes sense for groups with expertise in complementary areas to collaborate. Gathering people and resources together at one location makes sense considering the high costs of technological equipment and laboratory infrastructure. An interesting trend is that already existing academic concentrations seek collaboration with other academic concentrations, due to the increasing complexity of work. For example, all LEOS-related groups within our university in Eindhoven participate in the research institute COBRA (COmmunication technology, Basic Research and Applications). COBRA has now allied with three other Dutch clusters to work in the area of ultrafast optics. This academic alliance is called FEAT (FEmtosecond technology and its Application in Telecommunication technologies).

These are difficult times for the telecommunication industry which is increasingly forced to direct its R&D efforts or what is left of it towards short-term results. However, in order to build up the very necessary long-term perspective many collaboration projects with industry have been set up by university groups. In the past, contracts with the industry were mostly bilateral but at the moment we see a development towards multilateral contracts with clusters of companies and research institutes. This multilateral academic-industrial alliance allows for an intensive cross-pollination between both research worlds, which stimulates the use of new knowledge in new applications and products. In the Netherlands, a broad national research programme called Towards Freeband has been launched in the area of communications.

The already mentioned complexities of the subject area means that even a national concentration can no longer operate in isolation. In Europe, international collaboration is pursued by several national research centres. In order to work together in a structured manner with other centres in Europe, COBRA has taken the initiative to set up eiTT (European Institute on Telecommunication Technologies). The partners at the moment are the Technical University of Denmark, University of Ghent and University of Duisburg. Such initiatives are well in line with the vision of the European Commission. Within their 6th Framework Programme started in December 2002, the Commission will launch subsequent calls for themed proposals for the creation of large alliances indicated as Network of Excellences and Integrated Projects. The first type should be mainly formed by academic groups, with a few industrial partners, while the second is mainly a consortium of industrial groups, complemented with some academic ones.

LEOS is playing an important role in all of this. I see LEOS primarily as a platform which enables persons with common interests to interact. This platform is unique because it is associated with high quality. LEOS is generally associated with high-quality journals, conferences, meetings, workshops, short courses and exhibitions. In the Netherlands and Belgium many of these initial contacts which subsequently generated joint activities, took place during one of the symposia or workshops in which LEOS was involved. In Europe, LEOS has been prominently visible during the ECOCs. In 2001 a workshop on entrepreneurship was initiated by Roel Baets in conjunction with this conference and has now become a tradition. European LEOS chapters and local members collaborate in the organisation of these workshops. Key persons who are involved in European Programmes usually have contacts at an early stage, because of their already existing LEOS activities. We should therefore encourage chapters in other regions to organise themed workshops and symposia. These LEOS sponsored events can be co-located with major meetings. Another option is to start a standalone workshop. The WFOPC (Workshop on Fibre and Optical Passive Components) is an example of a successful event. Initiated by Silvano Donati as a local workshop a few years ago, it is now becoming a regular LEOS meeting, organised at different locations.

The theme of my goals for 2003 is therefore concentrated around the generation of more LEOS platforms, particularly using a bottom-up approach. Chapters have been very successful in the generation of new seedlings. I was very fortunate to help with the establishment of a large number of new chapters, when I was the VP of Membership of Region 8 some time ago. We see that the number of LEOS chapters in the world is still growing. However we also notice that there is a substantial number of locations where efforts to start chapters have not been successful, although there are many LEOS members around. Somehow the chapter formula does not make sense for these groups of members. We therefore need to generate new mechanisms to encourage these groups to start a LEOS platform.

One idea is to assign a formal LEOS-label to selected groups in academic centres that are working in the LEOS areas. As discussed earlier, academic concentrations are being formed and these locations obviously host substantial numbers of members and in particular also student members. In line with the trend to collaborate with other centres in the world, LEOS can play a role in facilitating these contacts. I am thinking firstly of promoting LEOS membership among students in these centres, for example by a one-year free membership. Then we can facilitate the exchange of students among these centres. Many universities in the world are encouraging students to spend some time abroad. LEOS can also collect examples of best practices of student practical training at these centres and distribute them to the others.

Initially, we have to formulate a selection procedure to identify possible centres for inclusion in the program. Participants should know that centres that are labelled “LEOS Schools” provide an adequate level of quality and that it is clear which particular LEOS field is covered. For example, these groups should have an adequate track record in publications, PhD research programs and Master Thesis programs. We also have to think of a way of involving those active IEEE Student Branches that are possibly present at some of these locations.

Another issue that could be approached bottom-up is the idea launched by Milton Chang last year of encouraging retirees to volunteer for LEOS activities. The top-down approach was not successful. Maybe it is a better idea to ask chapters to identify these individuals and to personally approach them. In addition, the academic concentrations discussed earlier may also provide opportunities to personally approach the retirees. If we manage to establish a program involving LEOS Schools, we may also be able to reach the retirees behind them more easily.

Hopefully we can generate more LEOS seedlings to enhance our science and technology and as a result of that provide solid foundations for future business. LEOS should encourage its seedlings to develop business activities. One mechanism could be to start a DE (Distinguished Entrepeneur) programme. We have a successful DL (Distinguished Lecturer) programme that is mainly aimed at scientists. The DE programme should focus on a different type of lecturer, and possibly this programme should be organised as regional activities, because the issues related to starting a business might be different in each region. In my opinion, persons that qualify for our Aron Kressel Award are automatically qualified to be a DE. Some of the retirees discussed earlier may also qualify for this programme.

Another mechanism could be to start a programme that may be called EYB (Explore Your Business). One EYB programme is already running in our Benelux LEOS Chapter. The Chapter organises excursions for groups of students to LEOS related business sites. This formula is well-appreciated by the industry and as a result, they have more interest in other LEOS activities as well. Obviously the LEOS Schools discussed earlier can also start a EYB programme. So these are some ideas for my goals in 2003. I plan to further elaborate these early thoughts with the other volunteers but your inputs are most welcome.