As photonics technologies continue to move from laboratory environments into scalable, real-world platforms, Photonics West 2026 offered a timely snapshot of how the photonics industry is evolving. Hyperspectral imaging and spectroscopic tools – once viewed primarily through a research lens – are now increasingly expected by OEMs, system integrators, and end-users to deliver consistent, deployable performance in operational settings.
That shift is one that Elizabeth Peck, newly appointed Chief Marketing Officer of Headwall, is well positioned to address. When Peck stepped into her new role at the start of the year, it was not a leap into the unknown. From Headwall’s perspective, she was already a familiar presence. Peck had been consulting with the company since 2023, primarily on the remote sensing side of the business. The vantage point has provided her with firsthand insight into how Headwall’s capabilities have evolved, as the company expands its focus toward industrial and OEM applications.
That experience has shaped her early thoughts on priorities as CMO: clarifying what Headwall stands for, unifying a strong-yet-diverse portfolio of photonics companies under a cohesive brand, and – perhaps most importantly – telling better stories about the technology that drives real-world, mission-critical applications.
“Remote sensing and advanced optical components remain central to Headwall’s work,” Peck says. “Those same technologies are now being applied across a wider range of industrial contexts.”
Headwall has long been recognised for its leadership in hyperspectral imaging and advanced optical components. Originating in remote sensing and airborne imaging, the company’s technologies have been widely used in environmental monitoring, agriculture, aerospace and defence, and scientific research. In recent years, however, Headwall’s focus has expanded toward industrial and OEM markets, where hyperspectral imaging and spectroscopic tools are increasingly being embedded into production systems, quality control lines, and automated inspection platforms.
For Peck, witnessing that transition first-hand underscored both the opportunity and the challenge ahead: “There’s an incredible level of engineering depth. Touring the manufacturing areas made it clear how much precision and rigour go into what’s being built.”
What stood out just as strongly were the customers relying on the technology.
“These are mission-critical applications. Failure is not an option,” she says. “Having worked closely with organisations supporting government and defence programs, I recognise the level of trust required for technologies deployed in those environments.”
Photonics West 2026: the MicroSpec® Duo
The application-led approach was visible at Photonics West 2026, where Headwall showcased its latest innovations, including the launch of the Holographix MicroSpec® Duo Spectrometer for OEM instruments.
Developed in response to a specific customer requirement, MicroSpec Duo® builds on Headwall’s miniature spectrometer platform to support high-performance spectral measurement in space- and weight-constrained systems. Handheld and portable use cases shaped key design decisions, including size, weight, and configurability, resulting in a compact, OEM-ready platform rather than a fixed, one-size-fits-all product.
For OEMs and system integrators, the emphasis is on enabling reliable deployment in real-world applications. At >27 × 29 × 19 mm and approximately 30 g, MicroSpec Duo® delivers precise spectral performance where space is limited, with configuration options that allow customers to validate and adapt the platform to their specific use cases.
Headwall: a full-stack photonics partner
Headwall brings together capabilities developed across its photonics businesses, spanning holographic optical components, hyperspectral imaging, and integrated sensing systems. That breadth supports the full optical journey, from foundational components through to application-ready solutions designed for real-world deployment.
This ‘full-stack ' capability shapes how Headwall approaches system design across the optical chain – and is one of Headwall’s most powerful but least visible differentiators, according to Peck. “When you understand the system from optical components through to deployment, you’re better positioned to design around real application requirements,” she explains. “That perspective ensures optical performance translates reliably into end-user systems.”
Not every customer needs end-to-end integration, of course, but knowing that the expertise exists across the entire optical chain builds trust. It also enables deeper collaboration with system integrators and OEM partners – an area that Peck already sees as a key strategic priority for the year ahead.
A recurring theme in Peck’s thinking is also the need to move the narrative around photonics away from pure R&D and toward tangible outcomes.
Walking the show floor at Photonics West 2026 has only reinforced that belief. “Application context matters just as much as technical capability in turning photonics innovation into commercially viable solutions,” she says.
For Headwall, that means showing how hyperspectral and spectroscopic systems are being deployed in precision agriculture, pharmaceutical manufacturing, food quality and safety, recycling and waste management, mining and geology, infrastructure monitoring, and defence and security applications.
“These technologies play a meaningful role in real-world applications,” Peck explains. “It supports applications across planet and resource monitoring, production and quality control, and infrastructure and security.”
Clarity, consistency, confidence
In discussing how customers engage with Headwall’s technologies, Peck returns to three recurring themes: clarity, consistency, and confidence. “These aren’t technical metrics,” she notes. “They’re emotional drivers – but they matter enormously to customers.”
Different applications prioritise different performance parameters. For one customer, precision might be paramount; for another, speed, robustness, or integration flexibility may matter more. The challenge, Peck says, is articulating an overarching value proposition that resonates across markets without becoming vague or generic. “Customers want clarity from the spectral insight itself,” she says. “They want consistency in the data – whether it’s coming from the ground, the air, or a production line. And ultimately, they want confidence in the result.”
Those principles also extend to how the company presents itself to the market. Historically, Headwall’s individual business units have been highly visible within their specific niches, sometimes appearing as distinct entities rather than parts of a single organisation. Peck sees unification – not homogenisation – as the next phase of growth.
“We’re moving toward presenting ourselves as one complete global entity,” she says. “A technology partner you can trust, with innovation at the core, and very clear benefits as a single unit.” That shift is not about erasing technical depth or specialisation. Instead, it’s about making the collective strength easier to understand and easier to engage with – especially for customers who may be encountering Headwall for the first time through an OEM or system integrator.
Communication in a constantly moving market
Peck is quick to point out that alignment – cultural or technical – is never a finished journey, particularly in fast-moving technology markets. “I’ve worked in technology my entire career,” she says, referencing past roles in SaaS, and robotics. “Technology is always moving. The markets are changing. And communication has to keep pace.”
The key to meeting that challenge, she believes, lies in strategic clarity and disciplined messaging, both internally and externally. “You have to be able to disseminate the right information at the right time within the organisation,” she says. “And it’s critical that customers clearly understand how the technology solves a real, application-specific problem.”
Despite the sophistication of Headwall’s technology, Peck also sees accessibility as essential. “If you can’t explain it in a way that excites your mom,” she jokes, “you’re probably still too deep in the R&D mindset.”
That doesn’t mean oversimplifying or losing technical credibility. Instead, it’s about framing advanced photonics in terms of outcomes, reliability, and impact – especially for industries where optical sensing is becoming a foundational tool rather than a novelty.
Peck’s passion for this work traces back to the early days of her career during the dot-com and Y2K era, when she joined a UK-based software company specialising in investigative data analysis. “They were helping organisations such as Scotland Yard and Interpol find patterns and inconsistencies – essentially helping identify the bad actor,” she recalls. “I loved the energy, the problem-solving, and the challenge.”
That same energy, she says, still drives her today. “I like building while things are still moving,” Peck says. “That’s technology. It’s never static – and that’s what makes it exciting.”
As Headwall continues to expand its presence across industrial, environmental, and security applications, Peck’s focus remains clear: sharpen the message, unify the brand, and ensure that customers understand not just what the technology does, but why it matters.
You can read more about recent changes at Headwall, here.
