John Clowes is the Founder and Managing Director of Woodrow Scientific Ltd, a high-tech laser developer, manufacturer and integrator specialising in "eye-safe" lasers and their applications. Based in Southampton, Woodrow Scientific is pioneering reduced-hazard-zone (RHZ) laser-cleaning systems designed to bring this technology out of restricted industrial settings and into commercial — and ultimately residential — use. John's vision is a world where water, chemicals, abrasives and manual effort are eliminated from everyday cleaning.
John brings more than two decades of experience taking deep-tech from early-stage concept through to commercial product, with a track record that spans multiple successful start-ups and high-value exits. Before founding Woodrow Scientific, he spent nearly six years at NKT Photonics, where he established and led a new Aerospace & Defence division in the UK, growing it from the ground up to a team of more than 25 people developing custom laser technology for defence customers.
That role followed the acquisition of Fianium Limited by NKT Photonics in 2016. John joined Fianium as co-Director alongside the founder in 2003 and spent over twelve years helping build the company into a world-leading manufacturer of ultrafast fibre lasers — growing it organically through reinvested profit, building a highly skilled workforce, and driving commercial success in a fiercely competitive market before its trade sale.
John's career in photonics began with a PhD from the renowned Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton, where his industrially-led research produced field-deployable optical fibre pressure sensors capable of operating above 300°C in the hostile environments of oil and gas wells — technology protected by two patent families and six granted patents, and still deployed in oil wells worldwide today. He went on to lead R&D product development at Sensor Dynamics, which became part of Schlumberger through a £100M acquisition in 2002. He holds a First Class BEng in Electronic Engineering from the University of Nottingham.