Lessons from electronica – the IoT revolution
Last week’s electronica exhibition in Munich saw a total of 2,913 companies from more than 50 countries present their solutions. The event saw approximately 73,000 visitors in attendance over the four days and, according to Falk Senger, Managing Director at Messe München: “This year's electronica did an impressive job of demonstrating how the various aspects of our lives will network with one another in the future and redefine our everyday lives. "What we have seen is revolutionary.”
Kurt Sievers, Chairman of electronica's Technical Advisory Board, European Vice President and General Manager Automotive, NXP Semiconductors, added: “Smart technologies and applications make it vital for new security solutions to keep up with this development. Security by design is an important guiding principle for the industry.”
“It will play a key role in the future,” explained Christoph Stoppok, Managing Director of the Electronic Components and Systems Division and the PCB and Electronic Systems Division of the ZVEI (German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association). “The only way to instill trust in consumers and successfully sell smart devices is to make high-tech products and their components secure.” As the electronica Trend Index revealed, consumers around the world are aware that security in connected devices is essential.
One of the key themes of the show was the automotive sector. “Today, 80% of innovations in the automobile are being driven by microelectronics and software,” said Falk Senger, the Managing Director at Messe München. From new assistance systems to sensors and LEDs, automotive electronics continued to increase its presence at electronica. One-third of all exhibitors presented solutions for this sector. The day before the fair started, the electronica Automotive Conference, in which 228 visitors from more than 20 countries participated, was an important prelude to this topic.