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15-Business Forum (One Half Day, In-person)
Antonius Peijnenburg (VDL ETG Technology & Development); Dr. S. V. Sreenivasan (The University of Texas at Austin); Dr. R. Ryan Vallance (Senko Advanced Components); Brian P. O’Connor (Aerotech, Inc)

Tuesday, November 5, 2024
1:30 PM – 5:30 PM

You will find the opportunity to register for the Business Forum in the Tutorial Section of the On-line registration form.

Business Forum Description
The Business Forum returns to the 2024 Annual Meeting with a theme of Monetizing Precision. This forum aims to equip attendees with the knowledge to identify markets and develop effective strategies for achieving product-market fit for their products and technologies.

Creating an innovative product or technology is only part of the equation. For a business to succeed, it must attract customers willing to purchase at prices that cover expenses and generate profit. Without this, a business cannot sustain itself. This year’s forum, featuring presentations from successful business leaders, will provide attendees with practical tools and insights on how to explore new business opportunities and refine strategies for both new and existing markets. The goal is not just survival but thriving in a competitive landscape.

This forum is invaluable for entrepreneurs in start-ups as well as leaders in established organizations. Whether you are managing a one-person business, leading a small team, or overseeing a large enterprise, you will find this event enriching. Attendees will also have the opportunity to network and forge new connections within the precision engineering community.

Dr. S. V. Sreenivasan (The University of Texas at Austin)

Creating a 3DHI Microsystems Prototyping and Pilot Fabrication Center

S.V. Sreenivasan is the Cockrell Family Regents Endowed Chair #7 in Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a nanotechnologist with an interest in creating high throughput nanofabrication techniques for applications in emerging electronics, displays, and healthcare sectors. He has published over 130 technical articles and holds over 100 U.S. patents in the area of scalable nanotechnologies. Dr. Sreenivasan is the director of the NASCENT Center, a National Science Foundation funded Nanosystems Engineering Research Center. Dr. Sreenivasan co-founded Molecular Imprints Inc. (MII), a nanopatterning spin out from UT-Austin. He currently serves as the Chief Technologist of Canon Nanotechnologies, Inc., a company formed as a result of the acquisition of the semiconductor business of MII by Canon Corporation in 2014.

Antonius Peijnenburg (VDL ETG Technology & Development)

Creating Business Opportunities Based on Technological Challenges in High-tech Equipment

Ton Peijnenburg studied Electrical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e, TheNetherlands) where he obtained his MSc in 1992. He then started working as a development engineer at Philips’ Center for Industrial Technology (Eindhoven). From 2002 until 2007, he was a mechatronics systems manager at Philips Electronics North America. From 2008 until 2010, he was R&D manager for the Phenom Scanning Electron Microscopes at FEI Company (Eindhoven). In 2010 he became manager of Advanced Developments at VDL Enabling Technologies (Eindhoven), where
he currently is Deputy Managing Director (CTO). In 2015, Ton Peijnenburg was appointed Research Fellow at TU/e High Tech Systems Center.

Dr. R. Ryan Vallance (Senko Advanced Components)

Emerging Applications for Precision Engineering in Optical Communication

Dr. Ryan Vallance is the Vice President of the CudoForm Division within Senko Advanced Components. The CudoForm Division is launching a variety of fiber-optic connectors for cabling and electro-optical packages for optical communication. The connectors will be manufactured in high-volume by ultra-high precision stamping. He provides strategic guidance and executive leadership while guiding technical innovation for manufacturing processes and product development. Dr. Vallance has over 25 years of experience in precision engineering and commercial applications as a member of the c-suite and as a tenured faculty member. Dr. Vallance is an inventor with thirty patents and more pending. He is an author on more than 30 journal articles and more than 80 conference papers.

Brian P. O’Connor (Aerotech, Inc.)

A Framework for Strategy Development

Brian O’Connor is currently the Vice President of Growth & Strategy at Aerotech. In this role, he oversees Aerotech’s commercial business units, product management, business development, and global marketing functions. As a member of the senior management team at Aerotech, Brian plays an integral role in developing Aerotech’s long-term business strategy to support worldwide growth. He has held multiple positions in engineering, product management, and business development in his 22-year tenure with Aerotech. Brian has been an active member of ASPE since 2000 and holds a BSME and MSME degree from the Pennsylvania State University.