electronica 2008 wrap-up: About 72,000 visitors recorded

The number of visitors from Central and Eastern European countries, Taiwan, Brazil, South Africa and Russia was higher than in previous years. Compared with previous events, however, there were fewer visitors from the USA, the United Kingdom, France and Israel. These decreases are due both to the current economic situation and companies’ tighter travel restrictions which meant that the number of visitors per company declined. Exhibitors and visitors were very satisfied with the outcome of electronica 2008. In particular, they awarded top marks to the completeness and range of the exhibited products and services, electronica’s position as the main trade fair for the electronics industry, its leading role, the presence of market leaders and the internationality of exhibitors. As expected, there was a great deal of discussion in the exhibition halls regarding economic developments over the last few weeks and months. Exhibitors and visitors are expecting a downturn in the economy. However, they are facing up to this difficult phase with self-confidence and have already organized their companies accordingly. Klaus Dittrich, Managing Director of Messe München International, was extremely satisfied with the outcome of the trade fair: “We are proud that electronica showed its stability in the face of the economic crisis. This result is a very clear indication of the importance of the trade fair as a worldwide meeting-point for the industry.“ Green electronics The centers of attention were “green electronics” and automobile electronics. This year, Messe München staged the “greenest” electronica of all time. “Green electronics“ ran through all 14 halls of the New Munich Trade Fair Centre with technologies and solutions for increasing the energy efficiency of electronic devices and for power-saving applications, but also with energy generation components and systems which conserve resources. Environmental protection was also the focal point of the traditional CEO Round Table at electronica 2008. Held on the first day of the trade fair, this event attracted a full house during the electronica Forum. Under the chairmanship of Dr. Jürgen Gromer, the former President of Tyco Electronics, the CEOs of Infineon Technologies, Freescale Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics, National Semiconductor and Osram Opto Semiconductors discussed the following topic: ”The contribution of the Semiconductor Industry to Climate Protection“. Every speaker agreed that the use of intelligent semiconductors, in particular, can lead to a considerable increase in the efficiency of electronic systems. The semiconductor industry regards the attainment of this goal as one of its most important tasks in the next few years, not least because it will also ensure the economic future of the industry. The key aspect in the current climate discussion is also the automobile – along with the technologies which will help to reduce CO2 emissions by vehicles. The electronica automotive conference examined the forward-looking automobile electronics sector and attracted 250 delegates from 23 countries. Displays and e-signage The e-Signage Forum during electronica 2008 provided special information on one of the fastest growing application areas for electronic displays. A product show and a “Speaker’s Corner” presented the technology and market, for example the world’s largest liquid crystal display with a screen diagonal of 2.75 meters. The displays exhibition and the e-Signage Forum went down very well with visitors who rated them very positively.