Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR), is a remote sensing technology that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (distances) to a target. The various applications of this technology have been developed during the last years by many companies, with Raymetrics being the foremost aerosol LIDAR company in the world, and a trusted brand among the LIDAR community and beyond.
Raymetrics was founded in 2002 and since then it invests in the research and development of atmospheric LIDAR products. Dr Georgousis, one of the founders of Raymetrics and Mr Kontos, the CEO, have always been aiming to produce instruments with the power, functionality and accuracy demanded by academics, combined with the robustness and ease-of-use required by commercial clients. Raymetrics has been in the commercial LIDAR market longer than most other manufacturers. Nowadays, the company is one of the five global leaders of atmosphere remote sensing systems with an extensive client list, including organizations such as the Met Office (UK), the European Space Agency (ESA), the National Environment Agency (Singapore), the Direccion Meteorologica de Chile and the German Weather Service. Raymetrics’ LIDAR products can be found all over the world, with systems currently in place in, among others, India, China, Africa, Brazil, Singapore, Malaysia, Germany, the UK and the USA.
The key to success
The main factor for Raymetrics’ success is the focus on product quality. Raymetrics always follows the science rather than the commercial trends when developing new products, focusing on quality and innovation. Raymetrics created a new market in the sector of remote sensing technology, by making it probably the first atmospheric LIDAR company in the world. They are an in-house software and hardware development company. All optical, mechanical and software designs are developed in-house, meaning that the company understands all elements of LIDAR function and integration. This exclusivity has given Raymetrics an excellent reputation for delivering exceptional products which perform according to customer expectations.
A Raymetrics LIDAR is the most accurate and the most powerful tool of its type in the market. It is only during the last few years that the remote sensing technology has become more widely known and companies from the United States or France have developed products using this technology.
Raymetrics has developed numerous high-tech applications in the areas of aviation, environment and civil protection, meteorology and research. More specifically, Raymetrics has developed solutions for weather forecasting tailored to customer needs, gas detection, a 3D Scanning LIDAR product, which determines cloud base height, remote visibility / fog and air pollution detection and monitoring, atmospheric Remote Humidity (RH) 24/7 monitoring and many more.
The company has a strong association with the European LIDAR Network (EARLINET), ensuring quality and compatibility. Raymetrics is also an official Associated Partner of the Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure Network (ACTRIS) and its follow-up, ACTRIS II. This European Research and Innovation Infrastructure, funded by the European Union, aims at integrating European ground-based stations equipped with advanced atmospheric probing instrumentation for aerosols, clouds, and short-lived gas phase species.
The impressive global track record of Raymetrics is due to the commitment and hard work that has turned the company into a world leader in LIDAR technology applications. In Greece, the company has faced many challenges in attracting private and public funds, in entering new markets and in making partnerships. PRAXI Network has supported Raymetrics throughout its journey from a small start-up to a worldwide high-tech company. There were serious obstacles in making Raymetrics a scale-up company. The lack of imminent need of aerosol LIDAR systems due to the minor air pollution problems that Greece is facing compared to other countries, as well as the economic crisis of the last decade that has dramatically decreased research and industry R&D budgets, were the most important.
PRAXI Network, through a dedicated support team, has helped Raymetrics to achieve innovation driven competitiveness, explore new market opportunities in Europe and beyond, exploit and commercialize research results and develop applications of the LIDAR technology in new areas, such as health, defence and environmental safety. PRAXI Network supports the company in minimising the risk of new development activities by attracting significant amounts of public funding. PRAXI Network continuously supports Raymetrics with added value services. It also assists the company to utilize its resources more efficiently through various ways (e.g. with better design of running projects to ensure smooth cash flows), advises on new uses of its technology and the development of new products and services and helps in the promotion of the company using its extensive worldwide network.
