Barco receives Edison Emerging Technology Award

“At Barco Simulation, customers come first and we understand their needs,” said Steve McCullough, Vice President and General Manager at Barco Simulation in Xenia, OH. “We earned this award by maintaining quality, promoting innovation, and never forgetting that our greatest asset is people. We strive to remain one of the top innovators in the industry.”

The Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) awarded Barco Simulation the 2004 Edison Emerging Technology Award. Eleven companies statewide were selected for this prestigious award. Governor Taft will present the award on November 8 at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, OH.

To meet the criteria for the award, each company produced a significant technology breakthrough or development. Through the years, Barco Simulation has delivered the core technological innovations behind the simulation industry’s most significant advances such as the:

• First universal Raster/Calligraphic projection system that integrates with any simulator image generator and is approved for FAA Level C and D applications
• First 25” MRP^TM (Monitor Replacement Projection) solution designed to extend the life of older simulators
• First integrated software and hardware visualization tool for Homeland and National Security -- VCAD^TM (Virtual Collaboration, Analysis & Decision)
• Innovative SEER^TM (Small Environment Enhanced Reality) mini-dome and HALO^TM rear-projected, continuous view display systems specially designed to maximize training space and increase the effectiveness of military flight simulation training

Each company also displayed potential for growth and commercialization of products. In addition, winners demonstrated an expansion of operations or increase in number of employees, while showing a demonstrated commitment to research and development. Barco Simulation expanded its technical sales force and professional engineering staff to better meet the needs of the marketplace and further the company’s research and development potential. Each recipient of the Edison award was also a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award winner.

Barco Simulation began as Electronic Image Systems (EIS), founded in 1983 by Richard Holmes and Joe Mays. EIS quickly made a name for itself in the mid-to-late 1980s as the leading developer and manufacturer of calligraphic projectors for aircraft simulation. From 1983 to 1996, EIS experienced significant growth. It produced products that directly improved the effectiveness of the world’s commercial and military pilots. EIS simulator display technology was being used by a various commercial airlines and military training programs. Throughout this period, EIS produced more projectors for commercial and military flight simulators than all other manufacturers combined. Barco acquired EIS in 1997, and in 2003, the company unified its corporate identity, becoming Barco Simulation.

Barco Simulation has grown to become the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance visual display systems for simulation, virtual & augmented reality, and education/entertainment applications. The Xenia facility now employs approximately 120 people; 25 are engineers active in research and development.

About Barco
Barco, an international company headquartered in Kortrijk, Belgium, provides visualization and display solutions for professional markets. Barco designs and develops solutions for large screen visualization, display solutions for life-critical applications, and systems for visual inspection. Barco is active worldwide and has its own facilities for Sales & Marketing, Customer Support, R&D and Manufacturing in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. Barco is quoted on Euronext Brussels and is a BEL 20 and a Next 150 company.

About ODOD
Working with communities and businesses, the Department of Development promotes economic opportunities to improve the profits and prosperity of Ohio's citizens. The Department acting in a support role provides financial, informational, and technical assistance to those making an investment in Ohio's future.
www.odod.state.oh.us

For more information, please contact

Jay Luis
Director of Marketing Communications (US)
Barco Simulation USA

Telephone +1 937 372.7579
jay.luis@barco.com