The 25th electronica, the International Trade Fair for Electronic Components, Systems and Applications, came to a close today with more than 72,000 visitors.
A total of 2,669 exhibitors from 49 countries presented the future of electronics and showcased application-oriented solutions during the four-day fair, which revolved around intelligent and energy-efficient solutions in the sectors for energy storage, LEDs and smart grids. Smart grids were also the focus of this year’s CEO Round Table, one of the highlights in the related-events program.
“The results of this year’s fair confirm the electronics industry’s significance as the most important branch of industry in the world. Everyone was here,” says Norbert Bargmann, Deputy CEO of Messe München. The market is constantly confronted with new requirements that manufacturers meet with intelligent solutions. This year’s hot topics included energy-efficient technologies and the latest developments in medical electronics. Automotive electronics, which account for an ever-increasing share of modern motor vehicles, was central theme in all exhibition categories: from control elements for energy harvesting and battery management to new charging techniques for electric automobiles.
The industry is looking forward to the year 2013 with cautious optimism. That was also confirmed by Christoph Stoppok, managing director of the Electronic Components and Systems Association and the PCB and Electronic Systems Association in the ZVEI (German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association): “After a minor slump, we expect the world market for electronic components to grow by some four percent to 480 billion US dollars. Forecasts also call for an increase in sales in the global semiconductor industry.”
CEO round table
The speakers at this year’s CEO Round Table all agree on one thing: “Smart grid” will be one of the electronics industry’s key topics in the future. The four CEOs from STMicroelectronics, NXP Semiconductors, Freescale Semiconductor and Infineon Technologies saw that as a great opportunity for the semiconductor industry. After all, without smart meters and smart lighting solutions, it will not be possible to ensure the energy-efficient supply of electricity in the future. The industry still faces a few challenges. Electricity must be fed, transported and controlled, and several components are needed to do so. The interaction and reliability of these components are essential to avoid ultimately ending up in the dark.
Other related events
More than 200 people including visitors from Denmark, Finland, Taiwan and the USA participated in the first embedded platforms conference. They gathered information about solution approaches and services for developing embedded platforms. Some 300 participants from 19 countries attended the electronica automotive conference, which focused on topics such as cost to design and car-to-car communication. For example: In the future, WLAN-based technology will make it possible for motor vehicles to communicate with one another, even at high speeds.