Global Partners: Western Europe

The optical fabrication industry as we know it today was born in Germany during the 19^th century, led by the famous trio of Carl Zeiss, Ernst Abbe and Otto Schott.

Decades ago, the European Union, particularly France, Germany and Scandinavia, identified the laser/optics industry as a promising, hi-tech growth area for the future, and consequently started investing heavily in this area. The results of these investments in optics technology are truly impressive. Western Europe, which in the 1960s had to import lasers from the US, is now a major exporter of the highest technology laser products available.

Because of the strong Euro, one doesn’t exactly find “discount” priced optics made in Europe. However, we work with some of the lesser known, “hidden jewels” of the European optics industry, whose high-efficiency processes coupled with old world ingenuity & craftsmanship result in prices on some items that rival those from the Pacific Rim and the former Soviet Bloc.