# Paul Taylor

> Paul Taylor is a laser physicist turned manufacturer who founded Laser Wire Solutions, a Pontypridd, Wales company that designs and builds machines using light instead of blades to strip insulation from hair-fine wires. After an Oxford physics PhD spent trapping a single ytterbium atom to build a next-generation atomic clock, he carried that obsession with lasers into industry and, in 2011, started a two-man operation in a Merthyr Tydfil garage. It grew into one of the UK's fastest-growing manufacturers, exporting roughly 99% of its output, supplying mission-critical kit to the medical device, aerospace, data centre and electric-vehicle industries, and winning a Queen's Award for International Trade.

- **Role:** CEO, Founder, Managing Director & Chief Physicist at Laser Wire Solutions
- **Organizations:** Laser Wire Solutions, Spectrum Technologies, National Physical Laboratory, University of Oxford
- **Nationality:** British
- **Education:** BA in Physics, University of Oxford, PhD in Physics (optical atomic clock, trapping a single ytterbium atom), University of Oxford / National Physical Laboratory
- **Known for:** Founded and scaled Laser Wire Solutions from a two-man garage operation into a globally exporting precision manufacturer, Won a Queen's Award for International Trade (2018), Ranked 15th overall in the Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 (2018) with 1,944% growth; regional and hardware category winner

## Career timeline

- **1993** — Graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in physics
- **1990s** — Completed a PhD developing an optical atomic clock at the National Physical Laboratory, building laser systems to trap and probe a single ytterbium atom
- **2000s** — Moved from academia into industry, developing and building laser mastering equipment for the CD/DVD industry
- **2005** — Recruited by Spectrum Technologies to develop laser cable marking systems for aerospace; first exposure to laser stripping
- **2011** — Founded Laser Wire Solutions (incorporated October 2011) as a two-man operation in a garage in Merthyr Tydfil
- **2015** — Used SMARTCymru R&D grants and investment from Finance Wales, Xenos and Wales Business Angels to develop robotic laser-beam wire-stripping products
- **2016** — Schleuniger acquired a 20% stake to position for the automotive market
- **2018** — Won a Queen's Award for International Trade; ranked 15th in the Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 with 1,944% growth; turnover trebled to £5.1m
- **2024** — Leading a team of ~44, exhibiting machines including the Odyssey-8, Mercury-4, Mercury-5 and Gemini-4E

## Achievements

- Founded and scaled Laser Wire Solutions from a two-man garage operation into a globally exporting precision manufacturer
- Won a Queen's Award for International Trade (2018)
- Ranked 15th overall in the Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 (2018) with 1,944% growth; regional and hardware category winner
- Listed among the FT1000 fastest-growing companies in Europe (5th fastest-growing manufacturer)
- Exports roughly 99% of turnover, primarily to the United States
- Built laser systems precise enough to trap a single ytterbium atom during his PhD
- Supplies mission-critical machinery to the medical device, aerospace, data centre and electric-vehicle industries, including Tesla
- Secured a 20% strategic investment from Swiss-listed Schleuniger

## Latest updates

- **2024-02** — Profiled as CEO & Managing Director leading a team of around 44 people at Laser Wire Solutions
- **2024-05** — Exhibited the Odyssey-8, Mercury-4, Mercury-5 and Gemini-4E machines at the Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo

## Links

- Website: https://laserwiresolutions.com
- LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/laserwiresolutions-paul-taylor
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/laserwiresol
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LaserWireSolutions

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/paul-taylor
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-21