Dong Ning, a researcher and the founder of Hefei iTek OptoElectronics Ltd., is in charge of 15 projects under various institutes including the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation and Innovation Funds of State Science and Technology Ministry. A team lead by Dong has researched and developed a series of products such as a time-resolved spectrum measuring system, high speed and high resolution industrial cameras and rice and grain color sorting equipment.

Before university, Dong attended the famous Xiuning Middle School. He was outstanding in study and was offered enrolment at Tsinghua University without taking the college entrance examination, but he chose the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). 

When asked why he preferred the USTC, he said that a summer school session held by the USTC in 1994 left a deep impression to him and made him fell in love with the university. To Dong, the USTC is not the best university compared with Tsinghua and Peking Universities, but it has a strong intellectual atmosphere. “It is a place where scientists can calm down and spend their whole lives doing research,” said Dong. 

Dong shows great interest in making practical devices, and he knows how to persevere with an innovative spirit. During his PhD study at USTC, a need arose for an advanced machine for testing and experimentation, which cost over 200,000 dollars. In consideration of the cost, Dong decided to do it himself. After one year’s research, he successfully made a time-resolved spectroscopy machine. Though the machine is less sophisticated than similar foreign machines it was self-researched and cost only half as much. 

In 2011, with the founding of I-TEK OptoElectronics, Dong’s dream came true. The company researched a series of high-resolved and high-speed industrial cameras, which successfully replaced the imported products in the industrial automation and automobile safety industries. 

Dong feels great gratitude to the university and the Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone. What impresses Dong most is that Hefei High-tech can provide significant support in the transformation of entrepreneurs’ scientific research achievements, which helps a lot in their entrepreneurship, according to Dong.

Introduction of the company

Since 2011, I-TEK OptoElectronics has been a professional supplier of advanced industrial imaging, high precision optics, and opto-electrical equipment..

I-TEK designs, develops, manufactures and markets most advanced camera systems, including a series of large format line-scan and area-scan products.

It also provides high precision optic components, including a laser displacement sensor, linear encoder, miniature spectrometer, and large format gratings.

In addition, the company provides various custom designed optical and electronic measurement systems, including a time-resolved spectrometer, an ultra-high precision DC source, and a low noise microwave amplifier.