Fiber optics department of Biaglass Co. Twenty years of research activities

The paper presents recent developments in optical fiber technology at the R esearch Production Department of Fiber Optics (in short Fiber Optics Depart ment - FOD). The work on optical fibers was launched by the Bialystok Glass Works (BGW), now Biaglass Co, in 1978. A special Fiber Optics Department w as created there a few years later. This fact reflected at that time the dy namically developing research and manufacturing of soft-glass optical fiber s, fiber components, sub-assemblies, devices, cables, bundles, illuminators , image-guides, sensors, and complete fiberoptic systems for research, biom edical, environmental, industrial and military applications. This year mark s the 20th anniversary of research and manufacturing of optical fibers, com ponents and photonic systems at BGW and Biaglass Co. The present paper is t he first of the whole series to be published in Optica Applicata and the Pr oceedings of SPIE, which will focus on activities of a group of people who have been engaged in the aforementioned enterprises from the very beginning . The scope of interest will be limited to technology of optical fibers, th eoretical investigations and construction of apparatus with the use of such optical fibers.