productronica to present its first independent innovation award

productronica, the world's leading trade fair for the electronics production industry, has been a 'trend barometer' for electronics production for 40 years and is now giving all companies in the industry a chance to submit their innovations for the award. This will be presented at the upcoming event in Munich, 10^th to 13^th November, 2015.

An independent panel of judges made up of industry experts will honour the most innovative products and manufacturing techniques in five categories. Judges include: Professor Klaus-Dieter Lang from Fraunhofer Institute IZM; Prof. Mathias Nowottnick from the University of Rostock; Dr. Martin Oppermann from TU Dresden; Professor Lothar Pfitzner from Fraunhofer Institute IISB; Dr. Eric Maiser from the VDMA; and Christoph Stoppok from the ZVEI.

The first productronica innovation award winners will be announced at the main press conference for productronica on November 10^th.

Falk Senger, Managing Director, Messe München, commented: "The topics of the future in electronics manufacturing are more present than ever at productronica. The productronica innovation award is another step toward increasing the focus on topics and technologies that have a promising future."

Clusters and criteria

All productronica exhibitors are invited to submit one or more innovations for the award. Products can be submitted in categories that relate to productronica's new clusters: PCB & EMS, SMT, Cables, Coils & Hybrids, Semiconductors and Future Markets. The cluster structure was introduced just in time for productronica’s 40^th anniversary and is designed to improve the transparency with which entire processes in electronics production are depicted at the fair, as well as addressing new visitor groups. To be eligible for the award, the product must be presented at productronica 2015 and it must be a completely new development or a significant technical advancement. Additionally, the product should be no more than 12 months old at the time of the competition and already be available for sale.

Application forms have been sent to exhibitors and the submission deadline is 10^th August.