As the PLI Conferences, organized by the Club Laser et Procédés on July 1–2 in Limoges, draw closer, we are giving the floor to several speakers who will help make this event a must-attend gathering for the laser community.
Among them is Jared Speltz, Team Lead of the Development of Innovative Applications for Laser Systems (DIALS) at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) in Dayton, Ohio, USA. With more than fifteen years of experience in laser applications research, he specializes in ultrashort pulsed laser (USPL) technologies and their deployment in advanced manufacturing environments.
Throughout his career, Jared has contributed to the development of custom femtosecond laser workstations, additive manufacturing systems, in-situ process monitoring solutions, and innovative hollow-core fiber laser technologies. In this interview, he shares his perspective on emerging trends in laser manufacturing, the growing adoption of hollow-core fiber delivery systems, and the importance of international collaboration within the laser community.
Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about the key milestones of your professional career?
My name is Jared Speltz and I currently work as the Team Lead of the Development of Innovative Applications for Laser Systems (DIALS) at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) in Dayton, Ohio, USA.
I have been working in laser applications research for over 15 years, specializing in ultrashort pulsed laser (USPL) applications. The first seven years of my career were primarily focused on medical device manufacturing, where I developed custom femtosecond laser workstations and applied them to emerging manufacturing challenges.
After joining UDRI, I worked on the development of custom laser powder bed fusion systems and in-situ process monitoring technologies while expanding our ultrashort pulse laser capabilities. In 2019, we launched a project requiring hollow-core fiber-coupled femtosecond lasers for industrial applications. Since then, my team has been actively deploying systems based on this technology across a wide variety of manufacturing environments.
What excites you most today about the laser community?
This is a difficult question because there are currently so many exciting developments taking place across the laser community.
Personally, I am particularly excited to see industry beginning to adopt hollow-core fiber-coupled laser systems for real-world applications, moving a technology that was once limited to research laboratories into industrial production environments.
I am also very interested in the scaling of these capabilities through high-power laser systems and in seeing how the community will leverage athermal ablation for large-scale applications. The ability to combine precision micromachining capabilities with increasing processing throughput opens up fascinating opportunities at what I would call the “Macro-Micro” scale.
In your opinion, what major trends or breakthroughs will shape the future of laser processing in the coming years?
Although I may be somewhat biased, I truly believe that reliable and fully integrated hollow-core fiber delivery for femtosecond laser systems will significantly accelerate the adoption of laser processes in large-scale manufacturing.
Beyond enabling ultrashort pulse laser technologies to move beyond dedicated workstations and into field applications, fiber-coupled architectures offer a level of flexibility and ease of integration that manufacturers are already familiar with through continuous-wave (CW) laser applications such as welding and additive manufacturing.
I also expect to see the emergence of more hybrid laser solutions, where CW or long-pulse lasers are integrated coaxially with ultrashort pulse laser systems. These hybrid approaches could unlock entirely new processing capabilities and enable advanced manufacturing applications that combine the strengths of multiple laser technologies.
Why did you choose to speak at the PLI Conferences, and what would you like to share with attendees?
I was very happy to be invited to this year’s conference and could not pass up the opportunity after seeing the quality of the community that the event brings together.
Every presentation on the program contains topics that are relevant to my research interests, and I am looking forward to the technical discussions and networking opportunities that the conference will create.
Events such as the PLI Conferences are essential because they allow researchers, industrial users, and technology developers to exchange ideas, identify common challenges, and explore new opportunities for collaboration.
In your opinion, what role does Club Laser et Procédés play in the development and promotion of laser technologies?
I believe that the PLI Conferences provide a unique platform for bringing together perspectives from many of the world's leading experts in innovative laser applications.
By fostering dialogue between academia, research institutes, and industry, Club Laser et Procédés helps identify areas where additional research, technological development, and collaboration are needed. These exchanges are essential for accelerating innovation and ensuring that new laser technologies successfully transition from research environments to industrial implementation.
The Club therefore plays an important role in strengthening the laser ecosystem and supporting the advancement of laser technologies at both the national and international levels.
With more than fifteen years of experience in ultrashort pulsed laser technologies and advanced manufacturing, Jared Speltz brings valuable insight into the innovations that are shaping the future of industrial laser applications. His work on hollow-core fiber laser delivery systems and hybrid laser technologies highlights the growing convergence of flexibility, precision, and scalability in modern manufacturing.
The PLI Conferences will provide an excellent opportunity to explore these developments further and engage with experts who are driving innovation across the laser industry. Join us on July 1–2 in Limoges to attend Jared Speltz’s presentation and discover the latest advances transforming laser-based manufacturing.
Don’t miss the flagship event of the laser industry!
>> Register now for PLI Conferences 2026.
