EKSPLA’s Chief Scientist Dr. Andrejus Michailovas is in the Photonics100 list of 2025. He was recognized in the Photonics100 as ‘the representative of a small company making a big splash from Lithuania, an outpost in the fast-moving, competitive and sometimes ruthless world of deep tech’.
The 2025 Photonics100 list has been unveiled for the third year in a row, recognizing the innovators and visionaries who are driving the photonics industry forward. According to the team at Electro Optics, a record number of nominations were submitted, highlighting the sector’s vibrant pace and resilience despite global challenges.
As noted by Mark Elliott, Chief Operating Officer at Europa Science, photonics remains crucial across various fields, including life sciences, aerospace, automotive, and communications, with both start-ups and established OEMs pushing the boundaries of technology. This year’s Photonics100 features a diverse array of honorees, from CTOs and R&D leaders to groundbreaking researchers and entrepreneurs whose contributions are shaping the future of the industry.
Dr. A. Michailovas has been directing EKSPLA’s innovation and technological pursuits for over 30 years: as a co-founder, as a gifted scholar and as a co-creator of countless inventions. He is a prolific idea generator, with his influence and contributions evident throughout the company’s international research and technology development projects. His impact extends to unique products and significant advancements in the Lithuanian photonics sector, to say the least.
To quote his colleagues, ‘it seems like he constantly has ideas in his head about how to create something important, interesting & commercially efficient. Andrejus seems to be capable of contributing to everything related to lasers; both classic theory and new discoveries give birth to ideas in his mind.’
Currently, Dr. A. Michailovas holds the co-authorship of 23 inventions. Over the last couple of years, he has also taken part in several international projects with partners. Just this summer, Ekspla finished a project devoted to early-stage diagnostics of female breast cancer. ‘Preclinical tests demonstrated high visualization quality of the system we developed, but a lot of work remains in future to improve all sub-systems and data processing,’ he cautions.
However, to quote Dr. A. Michailovas, the proudest moment in his career remains mentoring PhD students for decades, both under EKSPLA and at the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology. His mentorship approach fosters independence and creativity among his students, leading to groundbreaking innovations such as the EKSPLA-patented FemtoLux 30 femtosecond industrial laser, which won the Prism Award in 2024.