The IEEE Photonics Society is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2023 IEEE Photonics Society Industry Achievement Award.
For outstanding contributions to the translation of photonic ideas into successful commercial products and demonstration of entrepreneurial leadership in introducing innovative solutions to the market.
Dr Simon Poole AO, FAA, FTSE, FIEAust, FIEEE is an engineer/scientist/entrepreneur with 40 years’ experience in Photonics in academia, research, and industry. He has been involved in start-ups in both Academia and industry for the majority of this time and is renowned both for his contribution to the technology of photonics as well as the companies he has founded.
He was a member of the team that invented the Erbium-Doped Fibre Amplifier (EDFA) at Southampton University and, on moving to Australia in 1988, founded the Optical Fibre Technology Centre at the University of Sydney and, subsequently, the Australian Photonics Cooperative Research Centre.
Since leaving academia in 1995, he has founded a number of successful Photonics manufacturing companies (Indx/JDSUniphase Australia, Engana/Finisar Australia and Cylite Pty Ltd) which have, between them, generated over $1B in export revenues and employed over 1,000 people in Australia.
He has received many awards for his work in commercialising Photonics in Australia, including the Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation (2018), ATSE Clunies Ross Award (2013), and the NSW Entrepreneur of the Year (2011). In 2018, he was made an Officer in The Order of Australia for his service to the Photonics community and industry.
