1.LMN：Hello, Maratas! Would you introduce EKSPLA to our readers?

2. LMN：We hope to know some advantages of picosecond laser from EKSPLA.

Maratas:Basically, regarding to our new 60 Watt picosecond laser, I will be ho nest if you compare our company to others like TRUMPF or Lumera, in some power ranges, we are in a even level with them. Of cause one thing you should keep in mind that many functions in other companies are provided option are standard specifications with it. Also we are capable to provide services from here in China for Chinese customers, which means very rapid in respo nse time. Regarding the product itself and find more information in our website. You can come to our booth and take a brochure. Also you can co ntact with us for helps. Those features we don’t have special exited case but our running features can rival even the biggest company. When you look at our financial data, we are a small company, but when you look at our technology level, we are in global top 5. So we are very good at designing industrial systems, and even we can customize industrial systems that our customer needs.

3. LMN：Would you talk about the strategy of your company?

Maratas:Well. Our strategy is very simple, we do not try to push our laser forcefully, that’s not necessary. We spend a lot of time travelling, meeting people, talking with people, understanding what they are working on. Sometimes it’s science, sometimes it’s industry. If we see that they have a problem that we can help solve, then we will find a way to cooperation, and provide the best solution for them. Also probably one of the features that I’m proud of from my industrial lasers, I was building them for 2 years. Basically I’m not afraid of the laser service, because it’s very reliable. So this is very rare to those customers.

So our development strategy is simple. We just communicate with them, we find out what problems they have, if we can help them, we will help them.

4. LMN：What do you think of the development trend of ultrafast lasers?

Maratas:When you talk a bout development, you can look in two ways. You can look at relative numbers. You can find the market is going up by 30% to 50% per year, and then you can look at absolute numbers. So the relative number is really impressive. But the absolute number is quite small, because you walk around the exhibition here, what you see the most application are marking and me tal processing for automotive, industry. But picosecond laser is very niche application to high-tech field, such as glass processing, or very popular topic glass cutting for cellphone, sapphire cutting. A lot of companies want to enter this market, but in China maybe there are two factories that need large quantity of lasers, and others are not buying them. For companies that work in picosecond laser field researching processing, I would recommend them to other applications besides sapphire cutting, there are a lot of applications in electro nics especially semico nductor industry, wher you have electrochemical processes, and you want to replac them with lasers. If you use laser, you can get through several machines on the process line. So you can make your process much simpler, much more efficient. But when we look at some of our customers, they are not looking at glass, sapphire, but PCB, ceramics hard materials processing for precision tools. So in my opinion, this year is everything beginning, and we are picking up place.

5. LMN: What do you think of the laser market in China?

Maratas:It’s very big. If you talk a bout China, the potential for any market is big. But as I said, you need more applications. Right now, when you look at the Chinese market, there is an application crisis that it seems everybody is focusing on glass or sapphire, but some other applications are very wide spread in Europe, US, but they are not popular in China.

But as I mentioned, some companies are shifting their focus. We have several examples, they have very good business because they are doing applications nobody else doing. So if the research areas expand, and other universities are doing that, the market will grow fast as well. But you need to move away from mainstream applications.

6. LMN: Would you talk about your expectation of growth rate?

Maratas:I cannot give the accurate number because I don’t remember it. But the growth rate for the recent in our laser system, we expect around 10% to 20%. This is mainly due to we visiting more customers, we talk to more people, that’s a normal business growth. But this year, in our first quarter, the growth rate exceed the one of last year. Because we find customers who focus on other applications that are not popular among this companies.

7. LMN:Would you give some comments on the laser market development in China this year?

Maratas:For this year, I’m really optimistic. From the request of our customers, they have a lot of new interesting products, they have a lot of new industries which they want to enter. One of the biggest market is the semico nductor industry, it’s also co nsumer electronics. The other development line is semico nductor industry wher most of the machinery is dominated by electrochemical processes. And now people are looking for how to do these things with laser.

8. LMN: As you attend the Asia laser forum and exhibition this year, would you talk about your impression about it?

Maratas:I’m very happy with this event. It has very high level customers. People know what they are looking for. Anyone you talk to can have very interesting conversation. So this is really a good place to meet new friends and start making business. Because you can find the right people that you’re looking for.