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The escalating demands for laser technology from Asian businesses will be addressed with the introduction of LaserAsia 98, which will run concurrently with the fair.

 According to fair organiser, Messe Munchen International (MMI), the turnover for laser processing technologies in Southeast Asia increased from US$15 million in 1990 to $115 million in 1996. It is forecast to hit $230 million before the millennium.

  However, Asia's existing markets of $87 billion in laser material processing and $753 billion in fibre optics communications, indicated that regional demand for laser technologies far exceeded supply.

  Because there has been a significant lack of laser producers in the region, manufacturers and hi- tech producers have had to import their technologies, mainly from Europe, the United States and Japan.

  Winnie Hung, MMI Trade Fair's marketing manager for Asia-Pacific, said the company had organised a similar trade show in Germany, where exhibitors had expressed interest in creating such a forum for the Asian market.

  She said Asian companies were primarily using laser applications in industries such as electronic production, mechanical engineering, material handling and telecommunications - where lasers were used to transmit information through fibre optics.

  'The laser industry in this part of the world is primarily import-driven. However, I can see this changing. As Singapore and Taiwan are involved in laser production and as the various Asian industries develop, it will create a higher demand,' Ms Hung said.

  'Companies are beginning to see the advantages of laser production.

  'For material handling, as in cutting wood, it is more accurate and has lower wastage.

   'For mechanical engineering, it can improve the quality in the production of machines. In electronics it is widely used in semi- conductor manufacturing.'   Ms Hung said 21 companies would be participating in the inaugural LaserAsia, displaying the latest trends in the fields of laser technologies and systems, optics, opto-electronics, fibre optics, holography, Lasermed (use of lasers in medical treatment), sensor and microwave technology and pattern recognition and industrial image processing.



Demand for technology grows