The ECOC Exhibition opened it’s doors for the first time back in September 1995 making this year our 25 year anniversary event. To celebrate, we have launched the first ECOC Exhibition Industry Awards to highlight significant achievements in advancing the business of optical communications, transport, networking, fiber-based products, photonic integration circuits and related developments.

The Awards also come at a time where there has been much change due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fibre optics enable all of the communications we have today – including voice, video and social media, and has been a lifeline during the global pandemic. These companies are the unsung, and unseen, heroes which have helped to keep businesses going and keep services running during such a difficult time. The Awards are a great way to celebrate these products, companies and groups from across the industry and to recognise the achievement of fibre optic innovation.

Six categories

This year the Awards kick off with six categories:

• Data Centre Innovation/Best Product
• Innovative FTTx Product
• Most Innovative Product
• Optical Integration (SiPh and/or other)
• Optical Transport Award
• Best Fiber/ Fiber Component Product

Further information on each of these categories can be found on the awards flyer. Download the Awards flyer

The Awards are run in conjunction with Optical Connections, and the winners will be announced in our brand new Product Focus theatre on Tuesday 8th December at 12pm.

Judging criteria

The ECOC Exhibition Industry Awards close on Friday 11th September and all entries will be judged by our Awards Committee. We will be releasing a shortlist of the nominees as we move closer to the exhibition in December. Recently, we spoke with Daryl Inniss, Director of New Business Development at OFS and member of our Awards Committee and he was able to share some details on what the Awards Committee are looking for.

Once you have decided on the award (s) you would like to enter, the awards committee would like to see a 1-page summary, which answers the following:

• What has been done?
• What’s the significant commercial contribution?
• What’s the outlook?
• What is the competitive positioning?
• Please include a description of challenges that might create headwind

Clean, clear, simple descriptions, examples, and facts, where possible. The awards committee needs to be able to verify the claims in some way so the submissions have to provide a level of evidence of the success or progress of the development.

How to enter

Entry for the awards is now open and will close on Friday September 11.  To enter, please email your summary comprising the above information to the Awards team.