"In 2001 a number of companies joined forces with the Gerhard-Mercator-Universität Duisburg to successfully found the ""Service and Development Centre of Optoelectronics"", or OpTech-Net, in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). A major goal of the network is to promote the use of optical technologies in industry and research in NRW. Moreover, OpTech-Net acts as a co-promoter of the Optecnet Deutschland e.V., a joint network which pools the expertise and excellence available in optical technologies in Germany. "