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Montana

FDI Industry Spotlight
Photonics & Optics

Southwestern Montana has the highest per capita concentration of optics and photonics firms in the nation. Montana-based firms and researchers from Montana State University (MSU) have expertise in a wide range of applications, from remote sensing for autonomous vehicles and defense applications to bio research and medical imaging. The innovation and workforce development engine is centered in Bozeman with PhD, master’s, and bachelor’s programs at MSU, and a 2-year associate’s program in photonics
and laser tech at MSU-affiliated Gallatin College.

Recognizing this critical mass, expertise, and potential for growth, Montana earned an official US Economic Development Administration Tech Hub designation in 2023.

A recent partnership was announced between Montana State University and the University of Arkansas, creating the MonArk Quantum Foundry. Supported by the National Science Foundation, this partnership will accelerate the development of quantum materials and devices.

Photonics & Optics

Case Study: Bridger Photonics, Inc

“It is fulfilling to spend our days as part of an amazing team, in a beautiful place, creating technology with meaningful impacts for both industry and society.”- Pete Roos, CEO

INVESTOR Germany
MONTANA HOME
Bozeman FOUNDED 2006

Bridger Photonics, Inc (Bridger) creates disruptive LiDAR solutions that are transforming the oil & gas and industrial metrology industries. In 2018, Bridger announced Series A minority- share investment from Zeiss Ventures. Adding to their core metrology products, 2019 saw the commercial release of Bridger’s Gas Mapping LiDARTM (GML) technology as a service for the oil & gas industry. Prior to COVID-19, Bridger’s GML revenues had more than doubled in each of the five quarters since its release. Bridger’s GML is reducing the cost of methane emissions reductions, while at the same time improving the safety and operational efficiency of the Oil & Gas industry throughout the entire natural gas value chain. GML was awarded an R&D 100 award in 2019, recognizing the technology as one of the top innovations in the world that year.

Discover What Many Others Already Have About Montana

• Top five state for shortest average commute time

• No sales tax, creating one of the best business tax climates in the nation

• Top state to start a small business

• Highly trained, loyal workforce keeps recruitment costs low

• Consistently ranked one of the best states to live in

Facts at a Glance

Official US EDA Tech Hub

The Highest per capita concentration of photonics & optics firms in the US

40+ optics and photonics companies concentrated around Bozeman, MT

2022 Coherent Laser Radar Conference held in Big Sky, Montana

Cutting edge Photonics & Optics research emanating from Montana State University

800 employees working in the Photonics & Optics Industry in Montana

20,000 ft2 of high-security Applied Research Lab space for defense technology R&D, located in an Opportunity Zone

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