The Eiffel Tower is known the world over as a 'must see' landmark when visiting Paris. For the industry, another attraction that must not be missed this year is the 13th European Microwave Week, which will be held at the CNIT la Défense, in the French capital from 26 September to 1 October 2010. Just as the famous tower is unmistakable on the city's skyline, EuMW stands out as the premier RF and microwave event in Europe. It too has become a landmark, an event that attracts international visitors, with more than 4,000 attendees—comprising delegates, exhibitors and visitors—expected to descend on the conference and exhibition centre for the Week.


The event attracts representatives from across the globe, with recent years seeing increased numbers from North America and Asia in particular. To recognise and celebrate the fact, Connecting the World is the theme of EuMW 2010, and the event aims to promote networking, interaction and co-operation throughout the four conferences, the European Microwave Exhibition and the myriad of workshops, forums, seminars and short courses that are being staged.

The event focuses on the needs of engineers and researchers, and provides an invaluable opportunity for both academia and commerce to consider the latest trends and developments that are widening the field of application of microwaves.

Transportation options to CNIT la Défense.

Furthermore, in order to tap into the increased interest and activity in defence and homeland security, a significant addition to the EuMW 2010 programme is the Defence/Security Executive Forum, which will take place in Room Darwin 4, Level D, between 17.00 and 19.00 on Wednesday 29 September. The Forum will provide a platform for key representatives from European defence agencies, market analysts and industry leaders to discuss current initiatives, market trends and strategies impacting the European defence/security sector.

For the third year, EuMW will endeavour to engage young engineers and designers via the EuMW Student Challenge, which is sponsored by Thales Nederland and gathers students with different skills from all over the world to work together. For the fourth year running, the popular Agilent Tutorial Seminars for Young Engineers will set out to stimulate and encourage the next generation. By focussing on the application of test and measurement, the seminars aim to help young engineers along their chosen career paths.

The technical programme will begin with the European Microwave Week opening session at 10.50 on Tuesday 28 September. In addition to two distinguished key note speakers, the session includes the Award Ceremony, where both the EuMA Distinguished Service Award and the EuMA Outstanding Career Award will be presented.

Later that day, academia and industry get the opportunity to socialise and network at the EuMW Welcome Reception (see Social Events & Sightseeing).

To make sure that you plan these events into what is likely to be a busy schedule and to highlight just what EuMW has to offer, the following quick reference guide is designed to complement the EuMW Conference Programme and Exhibition Show Guide, which offer more in-depth information.

The conferences
Each with their own dedicated time slots throughout the Week are the four focused conferences:

  • The 5th European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference (EuMIC) takes place on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 September
  • The 3rd European Wireless Technology Conference (EuWiT) runs from Monday 27 to Tuesday 28 September
  • The 40th European Microwave Conference (EuMC) extends from Tuesday 28 to Thursday 30 September
  • The 7th European Radar Conference (EuRAD) ends the Week and spans Thursday 30 September and Friday 1 October

The registration area, sponsored by NXP, is located in Salle Brillat Savarin 1 on Level B, where delegate bag collection will also be available. Onsite registration begins on Saturday 25 September, when it runs from 16.00 to 19.00 and will then commence at 7:30 each morning from Sunday 26 September to Friday 1 October. Delegates can register for one, two, three or all four of the conferences. Registration at one conference does not facilitate access to other conference sessions, but those wishing to register for two or more conferences will receive a discount on these registrations.

European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference
Since 2007, EuMIC has been organised under the umbrella of both the European Microwave Association and GAAS® Association. This year there are more than 100 technical papers distributed across 17 EuMIC plenary sessions, five poster sessions, four EuMC/EuMIC joint sessions and one EuMC/EuMIC/EuWiT joint session, which highlights the strong interaction between these conferences. There will also be seven workshops and one short course. Aimed at both industry and academia, the programme features sessions ranging from basic process and device physics to integrated circuit theory based on different compounds in a number of different application domains.

Distinguished speakers at the plenary sessions include Prof. Federico Capasso, from Harvard University, who will review the recent advancements on plasmonics for beam engineering and on QCL for THz applications; Dr. Vivek Subramanian, from UCB, who will give an overview of printed electronics from materials and devices to applications, such as flexible displays, RFID tags and sensors; Dr. J.S. Moon, from HRL Laboratories LLC, will discuss the development of wafer-scale graphene RF electronics; and Dr. H. Alfred Hung, from ARL, will survey the progress in millimetre-wave and sub-millimetre-wave devices and circuits from SiGe to III-V compounds.

Prizes and Awards
To acknowledge the high quality of papers presented, the EuMIC technical programme committee and the EuMA general assembly will award a Best Paper Prize and a Best Student Paper Prize, with the winners receiving a plaque commemorating their achievements. In addition, the GAAS Association will provide three Student Fellowships to recognize the valuable work of students and to support them in the first steps of their technical and scientific careers.

European Wireless Technology Conference
EuWiT 2010 is a unique interdisciplinary conference aimed at enabling researchers and product developers worldwide to update and share their knowledge. It features 16 podium sessions, including six joint sessions with either EuMC or EuMiC and one poster session. It is preceded, on Sunday 26 September, by one day dedicated to workshops and short courses that includes a workshop on Cooperative communications and networking and a short course on Nomadic RF transmitter architectures.

The opening and closing sessions will take place on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, respectively, with three invited talks: Cognitive radio for green communications by Prof. Honggang Zhang from Zhejiang University, Energy benefits of cooperative docitive over cognitive networks by Dr. Misha Dohler from Centre Technologic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya, and Detection and location of people in emergency situations by Dr. Philippe Morgand from Thal's Communications.

Prizes and Awards
To acknowledge the high quality of papers presented the Best Paper Prize of €3,000 and a Young Engineer Prize of €2,000 will be awarded.

European Microwave Conference
To celebrate its ruby anniversary, the conference comprises 63 oral sessions, three poster half days and two focused sessions, together with workshops and special sessions. Additionally, an exchange of speakers between EuMA and the Asian Pacific Microwave Conference (ARWC) sees authors from Singapore, Japan and Australia giving presentations on the state-of-the-art of numerical methods for solving integral equations, recent advances in millimetre-wave technologies, and ultra-wideband and microwave imaging systems.

Keeping up the international theme, there are also invited European and North American keynote speakers, and this year, for the first time, there is also a special session titled, Young people and engineering: education, industrial/academic, opportunities and careers, with a panel of participants from various countries.

Prizes and Awards
On Thursday afternoon the closing session will feature an award ceremony for the EuMC Best Paper Prize, and two EuMC Young Engineers Prizes for the best papers written and presented by young engineers.

European Radar Conference
The number of paper submissions has continuously increased during the last seven years and EuRAD and is now more than 15 percent of the whole EuMW, which has created the necessity to increase the duration to two full days. The papers are organised in 17 oral sessions plus three focused sessions, adding up to 92 podium presentations and a poster session resulting in 30 additional papers.

The programme covers a very wide and interesting range of radar topics such as antenna scattering and measurements, radar signal processing and simulations systems, radar architecture and systems, and all radar applications covering civilian applications such as air traffic control, meteorological, wake vortex detection coastal radars and also military applications such as airborne, weapon systems, air defence and passive radars.

Three focused sessions will cover: Sea clutter and environmental effects; Airborne radar and scanning electronic antenna; and Millimetre and sub-millimetre-wave radar imaging.

In the opening session Prof. H. Griffiths will elaborate on Multistatic, MIMO and networked radar: The future of radar sensors. Dr. F. Barbaresco from Thales will then consider Wake vortex radar monitoring: state-of-the-art and challenges, while Prof. W. Menzel concludes with Millimetre-wave radar for civil applications. During the closing session Dr. E. Marquis will give a presentation on Coastal radar development. The conference programme is completed by four workshops, two of which are joint with EuMC.

Prizes and Awards
This year there is one Radar Conference Prize and two Young Engineer Prizes. The Radar Prize of €3,000 is sponsored by Raytheon and is awarded to the paper that best advances the state-of-the-art in radar. Raytheon also sponsors one Young Engineer Prize to the value of €2,000, while the second Young Engineer Prize of €2,400 is sponsored by EADS. Both are awarded to young engineers or researchers who have presented an outstanding paper at the conference.

Exhibition
In easy reach of the registration area and the conference floor, the European Microwave Exhibition will be located in Salle Pierre et Marie Curie on Level C of the CNIT. With 262 exhibiting companies, taking up 7,000 square metres (gross), the show floor is a prime example of Connecting the World as the exhibition has attracted key companies from across the globe. Exhibitors not only emanate from Western Europe but also from farther afield, including Eastern Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia, with a significant number of Chinese companies and a marked increase in the Korean representation. Closer to home, the French Pavilion, which began when EuMW last visited Paris in 2005, and has travelled with the show to every venue since, attracts local interest with smaller companies and distributors banding together to have a collective presence.

Exhibition floor at EuMW 2009 (photo courtesy of Shmuel Auster).

Regardless of their origin, the exhibitors recognise the importance of participating in the largest trade show dedicated to RF and microwaves in Europe. The show floor offers a stage where companies can showcase their wares to a focused audience and put their latest and most innovative products under the spotlight. It has become an exhibition that manufacturers target to launch new and significant products and a conduit for them to 'connect' with their existing and potential customers in order to discuss specific requirements, sound out possible future developments and get informed feedback.

For the first time at a European RF and microwave event, the set up of Interactive Poster Sessions in specially constructed modules, within the exhibition hall, with seating, will enable authors to present their results interactively, discuss their findings face to face and obtain immediate feedback. The hall will also be the venue for the conference session coffee breaks, a Publishers' Corner and two CST sponsored Cyber Cafés, providing Internet access direct from the show floor.

European Microwave Week has, particularly in recent years, aimed to provide useful, practical workshops, but in 2010 the number has increased dramatically with companies including Agilent Technologies, Rohde & Schwarz, NXP and National Instruments all offering attendees the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and guidance.

Exhibition Opening Hours
Tuesday 28 September: 9.30 to 17.30 (followed by the Welcome Reception); Wednesday 29 September: 9.30 to 17.30; Thursday 30 September: 9.30 to 16.30

GETTING TO CNIT LA DÉFENSE
Whether travelling by public transport on the Metro, train or bus, the conference and exhibition centre is easily accessible. On the RER take Line A and disembark at La Défense Station; on the Metro (Subway) it is at the end of Line 1, La Grand Arche de la Défense station. Please keep your ticket as you will need it to pass through the barriers when you exit. At the main La DÈfense Grande Arche station, take Exit E - Le Parvis.

By Tram
Take line T2 to the La Défense stop.

By SNCF Trains
Take the Paris Saint-Lazare/Saint-Nom la Bretèche line or the Versailles-RD/Saint-Quentin en Yvelines/La Verri're line to the La Défense stop.

By Bus
Take line 73, 141, 144, 159, 258, 262, 272, 275, 278, 360, 378, 161, 174 or 178 to the La Défense stop.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS
D.G.M.P. Travel is the officially appointed travel agency for EuMW 2010. The company has carefully selected hotels near CNIT La Défense and in the city centre's most popular locations at the 'Best Available Rate' during the event period. Only bookings made through D.G.M.P. Travel will benefit from these rates. To find out more, visit www.dgmp.eu/eumw2010. For delegates (young people), the St. Christopher's Paris Hostel is available at a 10 percent discount on presentation of their badge. For information and reservations, visit www.st-christophers.co.uk.

SOCIAL EVENTS & SIGHTSEEING
The main event of the Week is the EuMW Welcome Reception on Tuesday 28 September, sponsored by Agilent Technologies, Horizon House Publications and EuMA, which epitomises the organiser's ongoing efforts to encourage the interaction between industry and academia. The evening will begin with a Cocktail Reception in Brillat Savarin Banquet Hall on Level B of CNIT at 18.30. Guests will then be addressed by the 2010 EuMW Chairman, who will hand over to the 2011 EuMW Chairman, followed by the Platinum Sponsor, Agilent Technologies, after which a French/Italian seated buffet will be served.

From museums to restaurants, Paris has so much to offer visitors. Some of the most famous Parisian landmarks include Notre Dame de Paris, the Arc de Triomphe as well as the Eiffel Tower. Other sites include the Tuileries Gardens, the Champs-Élysées, the Invalides museum, the PanthÈon church, the Palais Garnier, the Sainte-Chapelle palace chapel and the Église de la Madeleine.

As well as the Louvre, the capital city offers 180 museums and monuments that include the Musée Picasso, Musée Rodin, Musée du Montparnasse, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Musée Cluny, Musée d'Orsay and the Musée du quai Branly. As a hub of arts and culture, Paris has many theatres, including Bobino, Théâtre Mogador and the Théâtre de la Ga"té-Montparnasse and opera houses, two of the largest being the Opéra Garnier and the Opéra Bastille. For shopping, few places in the world can beat the size and range of shops along the boulevard Haussmann. Other shopping areas of note are the Rue de Rivoli, on the Left Bank and the Madeleine.

Cityrama offers a wide range of tours and excursions before, during and after European Microwave Week. To book a tour or excursion, visit www.pariscityrama.com. Those booking online will benefit from a special five percent discount by entering the promotion code "EMW2010". This offer is valid for all the tours available from 20 September 5 October. Information regarding Cityrama and last minute bookings will be available at the Tourist Information Desk in the EuMW registration area.

GENERAL INFORMATION

In advance, take time to familiarise yourself with the event and plan your visit by logging onto the show website at www.eumweek.com.