News: Optoelectronics
19 March 2026
BluGlass partners with US government relations, corporate advisory and public affairs firm
BluGlass Ltd of Silverwater, Australia — which develops and manufactures gallium nitride (GaN) blue laser diodes based on its proprietary low-temperature, low-hydrogen remote-plasma chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) technology — has partnered with US government relations, corporate advisory and public affairs firm Michael Best Strategies to enhance engagement with key decision makers within the Department of War (DoW) and Department of Energy (DoE).
Led by former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, Michael Best Strategies is a business consulting, government relations and public affairs group with extensive White House experience, bipartisan relationships, and strategic insights.
Erik Berdy, government & public affairs partner, Defense & National Security Practice, will be leading the BluGlass account. His 30-year career spans the US Army, the Pentagon and Capitol Hill, where he most recently served as special assistant for Legislative Affairs to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during both the Trump and Biden Administrations.
“Strategically, the US Government is our most valuable customer, currently accounting for more than 60% of opportunities in our project pipeline,” says BluGlass executive chair Omer Granit. “Our work with Michael Best Strategies will enable us to build on BluGlass’ excellent reputation within the DoW’s [Commercial Leap Ahead for Wide Bandgap Semiconductors] CLAWS Hub to secure additional revenue-generating development contracts and have our visible gallium nitride (GaN) lasers designed-in critical next-generation technologies. We see significant opportunities to materially increase our work with both the DoW and DoE, particularly given we are one of just two GaN laser suppliers capable of onshore manufacturing – a key prerequisite for the US Government,” he adds.
“The US Government has long been an early adopter of emerging technologies to solve some of our nation’s greatest challenges,” comments Berdy. “BluGlass’ visible lasers fall into that category with these critical components essential for many of the next-generation technologies being developed today that will support our Joint Force and meet our national security requirements,” he adds. “BluGlass is an exciting company with emerging technology and US manufacturing capability that are essential for maintaining our national security.”
BluGlass secures A$190,000 order from TOPTICA for custom GaN visible lasers
