David Krohn is the author of Commercialization Basics for the Photonics Industry. The book is available through SPIE (www.spie.org).

David Krohn has over 55 years of experience in the photonics industry. He is the Managing Partner of Light Wave Venture LLC, which is focused on developing photonic business opportunities over a broad range of markets. He has assisted over 130 companies with activities in marketing, planning, funding and management functions as well as technical input. As a result of his activity in business development and commercialization, he developed the Commercialization of Innovative Technology through Entrepreneurship, CITE, methodology that can be applied to technology in general. In prior experience, he served as Global New Business Director for Photonics at 3M Company. From 1987 to 1998, he was the General Manager of the 3M Specialty Optical Fiber Business that included the Bragg Grating Technologies business acquired from UTC in 1995. He founded EOTec Corporation in 1979 that manufactured specialty fiber, sensors, cables, cable assemblies and data links. He was the CEO of EOTec until the business was acquired by 3M in 1987. At this time, he is also very active in many technical societies and teaches short courses in technology and business development. He started the Photonic (Fiber Optic) Sensor Consortium which has more than 60 participating companies and organizations. As the photonics marketplace has radically changed over the last several years, he has worked with several companies to diversify into non-telecommunication markets such as military, homeland security, biomedical and green energy areas such as alternative energy sources and solid state lighting. He has managed business teams that include all the elements of commercialization.

David Krohn attended Rutgers University as an undergraduate (B.S. 1965). He obtained his M.S. from Case Western Reserve University in 1967 and his Ph.D. from Lehigh University in 1973. All his degrees are in materials science. He has written 5 books, over 70 papers and holds 27 patents relating to photonics. His current and past affiliations are listed below:

Current Affiliations

• Chairmen, IEEE Fiber Optic Sensor Standards Working Group
• Council Member Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering
• SPIE, OSA, IEEE, ISA, ACS
• Lightwave Advisors
• Photonic Sensor Consortium (Chairman)
• Fellow SPIE
• Fellow ISA

Past Affiliations

• South Australian Photonics Roadmap Consulting Team
• Carolinas Photonics Consortium (Technical Advisory Board)
• Ontario Centers of Excellence (Technical Advisory Board)
• Open Photonics Inc. (Open Innovation)
• Verrillon (Board member)
• LXDATA (Board member)
• IRphotonics (Acquired by Thorlabs) (Chairman of the Board)