Profile | Liu Hongfei: Pioneer of Independent Innovation and Industry Advancement in China's High-End Spectroscopy

Liu Hongfei, a native of Hengyang, Hunan, is a Professor-level Senior Engineer, Doctoral Supervisor, and Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences. He received his bachelor's degree from Xiamen University and his Ph.D. from the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is currently the Chairman of Optosky (Hunan) Information Technology Co., Ltd., Vice President of the Hunan Instrument Industry Association, and an Adjunct Doctoral Supervisor at Central South University and Hunan University. He has been selected for the National "Ten Thousand Talents Plan" as a Leading Talent and the Ministry of Science and Technology's "Innovation Talent Promotion Program." He is also a recipient of important talent project titles including the Hunan Furong Talent Program, Changsha High-Level Talent (Category B), Fujian Leading Talent Team, Fujian High-Level Talent (Category A), and Xiamen Double Hundred Talent Program (Category A). With over 20 years of dedicated research and development in spectroscopic instruments, he holds more than 300 intellectual property rights and has led or participated in the formulation of over 20 national, industrial, and group standards. He has received numerous honors including the Fujian Provincial Science and Technology Progress Second Prize and the "Independent Innovation Gold Award" from the China Instrument and Control Society. He is a key driver in China's high-end spectroscopic instruments achieving a transition from catching up to running alongside, and in some areas leading, international counterparts.

01  From International Perspective to Local Innovation

Liu Hongfei's career began at world-leading instrument companies, where he served as a Business Unit General Manager at Agilent and II-VI Incorporated in the United States. This experience allowed him to deeply master the research, development, and market operations of advanced international instruments, and also made him keenly aware of China's dependence on foreign technology in the field of high-precision instruments. With the belief that "Chinese people can also build world-class spectroscopic instruments," he responded to the national "Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation" call in 2015, resolutely giving up favorable conditions overseas to return to China and found Optosky, establishing its headquarters in Xiamen.

In the early days of the venture, the team was small and conditions were difficult, but he firmly believed that domestically produced instruments must follow the path of independent innovation. From optical design and core components to algorithms and software, he led his team step by step to overcome challenges, gradually achieving breakthroughs and optimizations in key technologies, setting a benchmark for the high-quality development of domestic instruments.

02  Returning to Hunan to Support Industrial Upgrading in Central China

As a scientific researcher from Hunan, Liu Hongfei has always cared deeply about his hometown. At the end of 2022, inspired by the "Return of Hunan Merchants" policy, he led Optosky to establish its Global R&D Center and Second Headquarters in Changsha. He stated, "Changsha not only has a solid industrial foundation and talent resources but also possesses a vibrant innovation atmosphere and a precise customer base. As a native of Hunan, I also hope to contribute to the development of my hometown."

In less than three years, the Changsha team has grown to over 170 people, becoming one of the group's largest and most capable R&D and industrialization teams. Optosky has established in-depth cooperation mechanisms with local universities and research institutions such as Central South University, National University of Defense Technology, and Hunan University to promote technological breakthroughs and achievement transformation. At the same time, it actively connects with Hunan's advantageous industries such as new energy, agricultural technology, chemical pharmaceuticals, and high-end equipment, providing customized spectroscopic solutions to assist in the intelligent transformation of these industries.

 

From 2023 to 2025, Optosky Hunan Company was successively recognized as a "National High-Tech Enterprise," "Hunan Province Specialized and Sophisticated SME," and "Changsha Technology Innovation Center." It also established an Expert Workstation and a Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base, becoming an important pillar for technological innovation in our province's instrument industry.

03  Technological Breakthroughs and Standard Leadership

Under Liu Hongfei's leadership, Optosky has achieved multiple leaps in domestic spectroscopic instruments:

• Comprehensive Product System: Formed over ten product lines including Raman spectroscopy, near-infrared spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging, fluorescence spectroscopy, and LIBS, serving scientific research, industry, agriculture, medical, environmental protection and other fields, with some products reaching internationally advanced levels.
• High Participation in Industry Standard Setting: Led the formulation of multiple national, industrial and group standards including "Visible Near-Infrared Ground Object Spectrometer" and "Technical Specifications for Multi-Spectral Imaging in Smart Agriculture," and participated in the development of over 20 standards including "General Specifications for Raman Spectrometers," promoting standardized industry development.
• Dual Achievements in Honors and Market: Optosky was recognized as a National Specialized and Sophisticated "Key Little Giant" Enterprise. Its products are exported to more than 70 countries and regions, becoming a mainstream Chinese brand in markets such as Russia and the Middle East, achieving a leap from "import substitution" to "export breakthrough.".

 

04   Forward-Looking Layout, Driving the Future of the Industry

Liu Hongfei not only delves deeply into technology but also possesses a forward-looking industrial vision. He has led multiple scientific research tasks including the National Key R&D Program and major Hunan Province "Challenge Campaign" projects, promoting collaborative development among industry, academia, research, and application. While achieving technological independence, he actively promotes Optosky's expansion in the global market. Products have successfully entered regions such as Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, serving international projects in water resource management, petrochemicals, and smart laboratories, fully demonstrating the strong strength and good reputation of Chinese instrument enterprises.

 

Liu Hongfei proposed a dual-track strategy of "Reaching for the Sky and Standing on the Ground": "Reaching for the Sky" means facing the world's technological frontiers and breaking through bottleneck technologies; "Standing on the Ground" means promoting the application of spectroscopy technology in industries to help traditional sectors improve quality and efficiency. He places high importance on building the industrial chain ecosystem, driving the overall improvement of the industry through technology diffusion, standard output, and talent cultivation. The Changsha base is a crucial fulcrum of this strategy: in the next three to five years, it will become an intelligent manufacturing base for spectroscopic instruments with an annual production capacity exceeding 50,000 units, launching over a hundred new products, and creating a new highland for global spectroscopic technology innovation.

 

The growth and entrepreneurial journey of Dr. Liu Hongfei is a vivid portrayal of a scientist serving the country through industry and Hunan talent giving back to their hometown. Optosky, under his leadership, has not only become a leading enterprise in domestic spectroscopic instruments but has also significantly enhanced Hunan's innovation level and industrial influence in the field of high-end spectroscopic instruments, becoming an important force for Chinese high-end instruments going global. He says, "We want Chinese people to use their own high-end spectroscopic instruments, and the world to use China's high-end spectroscopic instruments." This belief stems from the Hunan spirit of "Caring for the world, daring to be first" and aligns with the contemporary themes of high-quality development of China's manufacturing industry and the development of new quality productive forces. His practice not only injects sustained innovative momentum into Hunan's instrument industry but also leads the regional industry from "following" to "running alongside" and even "leading," laying a solid foundation for writing a new chapter in the high-quality development of Hunan's instrument industry.

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Email: optoskyphotonics@gmail.com

Web: www.optosky.net