Fibercore celebrates 30 years of Fiber innovation

Tuesday, Apr 03, 2012

Specialty Fiber Firm reflects on three decades of success and looks to the future

Fibercore Ltd, a UK based global market leader in the design and manufacture of specialty optical fibers is celebrating 30 years of innovation and excellence within the highly specialised sector. The company continues to embody the spirit of innovation; technical excellence and quality which has seen it flourish through three decades of monumental changes in both technology and its effects on society as a whole.
 
Established in 1982, Fibercore was formed as a business venture spin-out from the world-renowned Optical Fiber Group of the University of Southampton, to offer the  specialty optical fibers developed at the University, commercially. Managing Director of Fibercore, Dr Chris Emslie comments: “The company was born from a foundation of professional research, excellence and expertise, so three decades on we are proud that Fibercore is still a byword for quality, innovation and unrivalled technical support.”

Its divestiture from the Cisco group in February 2011, means Fibercore starts its third decade as an Independent Company. This new-found freedom is enabling the Company to drive- forward the boundaries of the technologies that truly benefit its customers in key areas such as Aerospace, Metrology, Telecoms Components, sensors, Defence and Fundamental Research. Fibercore's team of seasoned Specialty Fiber Professionals include a 'core' that has remained with the Company since the 1990s, with some members offering more than 25 years of high-level experience in the Industry.

Fibercore products are used in an incredibly broad range of applications spread throughout more than 50 countries including fiber optic gyroscopes (FOGs), fiber optic hydrophones, fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers (EDFAs), embedded sensors, specialist medical, government and corporate research agencies and telecommunications components.

Dr Chris Emslie adds, “Throughout our 30-year history Fibercore has had the privilege to track and support many of our customers from their earliest research, right through to the high-volume 'specialised' manufacturing that now accounts for 90% of our business. This breadth of experience, together with our singularity of purpose and diversity of our customer base enabled us to continue to grow and prosper, throughout both the Telecoms Crash of 2001 and the Credit Crunch that began in 2007 and is still with us to this day.”

With the move to the company's purpose-designed R&D and Manufacturing Facility, Fibercore House, in 2003, it was able to increase its manufacturing capabilities ten-fold and enabled Fibercore to introduce 'World-Class Manufacturing' philosophies to what was traditionally viewed as a scaled-up laboratory process.  The total shipments of fiber from Fibercore House now average more than 1,300,000 m per month - a figure believed to be higher than that of any other 'specialty' fiber manufacturer anywhere in the World and providing Fibercore Limited with unmatched experience in the volume manufacture of highly-specified 'Specialty' Fiber.  The Company's current share of the PM fiber for gyroscopes market, for example, is estimated to be in excess of 90%, with major OEMs in the United States, France, Germany, Korea, Italy and Japan.

In 2001 the Company was presented with the Queen's Award for Enterprise: International Trade (the UK's highest business honour) and was assessed to be the Country's most successful manufacturing business by the prestigious Experian Survey.  Since then the Company has been awarded three additional Queen's Awards for Enterprise: Innovation in 2004, and both International Trade and Sustainable Development in 2007, making Fibercore Limited the only company ever to have won these awards in all three categories.

Whilst celebrating its history, Fibercore has its focus firmly on the future - as Dr Chris Emslie concludes, “The recent expansion of the Development Team and the introduction of new photonics engineers into our skill base enables us to continue our commitment to the future of the specialist fiber industry.  With the renewed interest in current sensors, development is well underway on the new 'Spun' fiber and recent improvements to our already established IsoGain™ erbium doped amplifier fiber have strengthened our position in the amplifier marketplace.  All this means that Fibercore goes from strength to strength, and we will continue to support our customers and the industry for the next 30 years, and beyond.”

About Fibercore
Founded 30 years ago, Fibercore is a leading innovator, designer and manufacturer of specialty fiber serving more than 200 customers across the world. Products include specialty fiber for the Aerospace, Defence and Telecommunications industries – the business is a global market leader. The company’s operations are headquartered in Fibercore House, a custom built Southampton based facility. Fibercore has four Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.

Source: Fibercore