When satellites circulate in space, they require mirrors with a wide variety of optical properties. SpaceOptix has exactly the products they need. The eastern Thuringian company, based in Jena, the birthplace of modern optics, worked closely with the nearby Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering to develop metal lenses that can be tailored to customers’ preferences. They come with a broad array of optical features in sizes that range from a few millimeters to half a meter. “SpaceOptix’s success story is a prime example of a productive technology transfer that is rooted in tradition in Thuringia but still able to serve markets of the future,” said LEG Department Manager Dr. Arnulf Wulff. Close cooperation between industry and academia is one of the locational advantages that LEG always cites when talking to investors. (hw)
