The keynote address at last year’s MEMS Executive Congress Europe stated: "MEMS is only limited by the imagination." MEMS Industry Group (MIG) took that sentiment to heart, and organized a 2013 EU Congress chock full of interesting keynotes, panels, dialogue, and camaraderie. We invited some of the top European companies using and commercializing MEMS to share their insight and imagination on the future of MEMS applications in consumer products, automotive, medical, and energy. If you haven’t already, I strongly encourage you to register now.
On the morning of March 12, our keynote speaker, Ralf Schnupp, VP Segment Occupant Safety & Inertial Sensors of Continental Automotive GmbH, will present Future Trends in Automotive — Smart Systems and Sensors. I am extremely honored to have Dr. Schnupp as our keynote; he is extremely well respected in the industry and I know that he will open the Congress in a big and impressive way. In his keynote, he plans to present a vision of the future of automotive that is very macro/global in its perspective with a balance of "enhanced safety, environmental protection, increased connectivity, and affordable vehicles."
After Dr. Schnupp’s keynote, we will have a series of panels focused on MEMS in Consumer, Energy, Automotive and Medical. I could write an entire blog just on the panels but I’d rather not – as I’m focusing mainly on the keynotes today…but let’s just say that if you’ve ever been to a Congress before, you know we have a "recipe" for success. This year is no different. We have put together a healthy mix of moderators and panelists sprinkled with a little bit of controversy to make things interesting. Each panelist will bring his own unique perspective on the critical issues affecting the business of MEMS.
It’s been said that Europe provides a better environment for spawning MEMS innovation. So, I look forward to hearing from our panelists who are a great mix of end-users, academics, analysts and industry leaders who will share their visions on the success and remaining challenges to MEMS commercialization success. Some of the inventive topics our panels and keynotes will address are:
- Standardization has played an important role in propelling growth in the consumer electronics industry – but what about MEMS? What progress has been made and what challenges remain?
- What role will MEMS play in the car of the future and how might sensor fusion drive new applications?
- How do MEMS advance quality of life now and in the future, from chronic disease management to sports rehab?
- How are MEMS helping alternative energy adoption in Europe and when will MEMS be commercialized in energy harvesting for smaller consumer applications?
Our afternoon keynote will be Renzo Dal Molin, Advanced Research Director SORIN CRM within Cardiac Rhythm Management business unit, SORIN Group. Dr. Dal Molin is again an extremely well-known and respected leader in the field of cardiac medical research and technology. Dr. Dal Molin’s keynote is entitled Vision for Implanted Medical Devices Healthcare Solutions and Technical Challenges and will review how the market for microelectronic implants is growing phenomenally. He will share his vision for this industry and the main drivers of growth, as well as the challenges that lay ahead. I am sure our heads will be buzzing after his keynote and the conversation will take us all the way to our dinner at a place that I’ve always wanted to visit: the Heineken Brewery. Oh yes, we are having a strolling dinner at the world-famous Heineken Experience, where, as I have found myself saying "they serve food to accompany the beer." We will have fun. That is for sure.
I am obviously giving you just a sneak peak – so for complete details, you need to check out our full agenda that begins on March 11 with a dessert reception. Yes, it might have been the MIG staff’s idea to have plenty of desserts on hand (perhaps you’ve heard we like chocolate?); but we realized after last year’s inaugural EU Congress that most of our attendees were hanging out in the conference hotel bar anyhow, so we might as well make it an official party.
But back to what makes the Congress so unique – and why we’ve successfully held the US version for so many years (it will be nine years, this November 7-8 in Napa!) and why we are returning to Europe for a second year. MEMS Executive Congress by definition is not a technical conference. It is not a tradeshow. This is a business-based, senior-level, executive conference where commercialization, revenue, and success stories dominate the discussion. As Rich Duncome of HP stated a few years back after delivering his keynote, the Congress is like "networking on steroids."
In my very humble (and oh so slightly biased) opinion, there is only one place in Europe where global industry luminaries will be talking about where MEMS technology is growing, based on real experiences and real time data. And there is only one place where you can meet them. This compelling one-day event is a MUST for entire the MEMS supply-chain. And oh, have you registered yet for The MEMS Executive Congress Europe? You don’t want to miss it.
