This month's Executive Interview: Professor Wolfgang Heinrich, President of the European Microwave Association (EuMA) explains the Association's history, structure and aims, and outlines the role that it plays in the global RF and microwave industry.

After five years, European Microwave Week returns to Manchester and the UK. At the heart of the Industrial Revolution, the city was the site of the world's first passenger railway station and a dynamic centre for free trade. Its industrial past and subsequent regeneration make it the ideal home for EuMW 2011 and have prompted the adoption of the slogan, Wave to the Future.


From 9 to 14 October, the event is expected to attract an estimated 4500 attendees (delegates, visitors and exhibitors) to the new Manchester Central Convention Complex, formerly known as GMEX and the Manchester International Conference Centre (see Figure 1). It is located right in the heart of the city, and provides more space and award-winning facilities than in 2006 for both the conference and exhibition.

Figure 1 Manchester Central Convention Complex.

Now firmly established as the premier event in the RF and microwave calendar in Europe, European Microwave Week offers a broad platform for the industry to showcase and discuss the latest technology, exchange ideas, network and do business. The conferences reflect the groundbreaking and innovative work being undertaken in the RF, microwave, integrated circuit, wireless and radar sectors, while the commercial reality of that research and development will be highlighted during the European Microwave Exhibition. The exhibition will feature more than 250 exhibitors spread over more than 7000 m2 (gross).

The official European Microwave Week opening ceremony on Tuesday morning is open to delegates from all conferences and will feature a presentation by the Nobel Laureate, Professor Konstantin S. Novoselov. Tuesday evening sees the Manchester Central Exchange Hall stage the EuMW Welcome Reception, which has become a highlight of the week. The evening will begin with a cocktail reception at 18.30, when guests will be addressed by the 2011 EuMW Chairman, who will hand over to the 2012 EuMW Chairman for Amsterdam, followed by Platinum Sponsor Agilent Technologies, after which a seated buffet will be served.

The following quick reference guide is designed to complement the Conference Programme and Exhibition Show Guide, where you will find more detailed information.

The Conferences

Each with their own dedicated time slots throughout the week are the three focused conferences:

  • The 6th European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference (EuMIC) takes place on Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 October
  • The 41st European Microwave Conference (EuMC) extends from Tuesday 11 to Thursday 13 October
  • The 8th European Radar Conference (EuRAD) spans Thursday 13 and Friday 14 October

The conferences encompass a wide range of subject areas including: microwave, millimetre-wave and submillimetre-wave systems, antennas and propagation, wireless technologies, telecommunication (RF, microwave and optical), ICs, semiconductor materials and packaging, radar architectures, systems and subsystems, sensors and remote systems, and test and measurement.

Registration, sponsored by Rohde & Schwarz, opened online on 6 June 2011 and will remain open up to and during the event until 14 October. Onsite registration is available from Saturday 8 October (16.00 to 19.00) and from 07.30 each morning from Sunday 9 October to Friday 14 October. Registration at one conference does not allow any access to other conference sessions, but those who wish to register for two or more conferences will receive a discount.

The European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference

The EuMIC is the successor of the well known GAAS application symposium, which was first held in Rome in 1990. Since 2007, EuMIC has been organised under the umbrella of both the European Microwave Association (EuMA) and GAAS® Association. More than 100 technical papers have been selected, distributed across 16 EuMIC sessions, 11 joint EuMC/EuMIC sessions and two poster sessions. There will be also 13 workshops and two short courses and there are a significant number of joint sessions and workshops, organised with the EuMC, which highlight the strong interaction between these conferences.

On Monday, the plenary session will feature two speakers. Dr. Tahir Ghani, Intel Fellow and Director of Transistor Technology and Integration, Intel Corp., will consider challenges and innovations in nano-CMOS transistor scaling. Professor Masahiro Yamaguchi, Director of Electromagnetic Theory Division, Tohoku University, Japan, will discuss trends and the future of on-chip RF magnetic technology.

The programme has been formulated to be of interest both for industry and academia, with many sessions ranging from basic process and device physics to integrated circuit theory based on different compounds in a number of different application domains. A special session on foundry services on Tuesday will bring together UMS, OMMIC, GCS, TriQuint Semiconductor and WIN Semiconductors to discuss trends and the applications of various semiconductor materials and devices.

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. In addition, the GAAS Association will award three postgraduate student fellowships to recognize the valuable work of students and to support them in the first steps of their technical and scientific career.

The European Microwave Conference

EuMC is Europe's leading forum for presenting microwave and related technologies and every effort has been made to deliver a comprehensive and varied programme. It comprises 42 European Microwave Conferences and 15 joint Technical Sessions, 15 workshops, two short courses, three special sessions, a Special Event, the Doctoral School in Microwaves, aimed at early-stage PhD students, and the established EuMW 2011 Student Challenge.

This year, with the European Conference on Wireless Technology (EuWiT) being integrated into EuMC, there is a greater emphasis on wireless-related topics and this is evident in the various technical sessions and workshops. Also, a new Special Session on Friday will focus on a specific geographical region; under the title, Microwaves inside Asia, invited speakers from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and India will showcase microwave technologies from within Asia.

Prizes and Awards

On Thursday afternoon, the closing session will feature an award ceremony for the EuMC Microwave Prize, and EuMC Young Engineers Prizes, sponsored by EADS/Cassidian, for the best papers written and presented by young engineers.

The European Radar Conference

Over the past eight years, EuRAD has grown to be one of the largest European and worldwide radar events, offering high quality papers, workshops and focused sessions. There are 81 paper presentations, which have been organised into 19 sessions, covering four main areas: radar subsystems and phenomenology, signal processing, architectures and systems, and applications, complemented by 35 poster papers.

The paper sessions are enhanced by expert workshops, covering advanced areas of radar, including micro-Doppler analysis, multi-static and passive radar and phased array radar. Also, in a first for EuRAD, the impact of wind farms on radar systems will be addressed, including looking at the fundamentals of radar and wind farms, to give the non-radar expert insight into this increasingly important topic.

Prizes and Awards

There is one EuRAD Conference Prize and two Young Engineer Prizes. The EuRAD Prize is sponsored by Raytheon as is one Young Engineer Prize. The second Young Engineer Prize is sponsored by EADS/Cassidian. Both are awarded to young engineers or researchers who have presented an outstanding paper at the conference.

Figure 2 Manchester Central exhibition hall.

Exhibition

This FREE to enter exhibition is the largest trade show dedicated to RF and microwaves in Europe (see Figure 2). The exhibition is a vibrant shop window for companies large and small, established and developing from all over the world. Each year, the EuMW host country attracts local interest with smaller companies and distributors banding together to give them a collective presence. In fact, the success of last year's event in Paris is being carried over to Manchester via the French Pavilion. To find out which companies will be at Manchester Central see the latest exhibitor list, starting on page 82. Exhibitor workshops continue to be a feature of EuMW, offering attendees the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and guidance.

This year, for the first time, the exhibition hall will also play host to the Microwave Application Seminars (MicroApps) at EuMW 2011. It will also house the Interactive Poster Sessions, which will enable authors to present their results interactively, the Publisher's Corner, and host the conference session coffee breaks for the three days.

Exhibition Opening Hours

Tuesday: 09.30 to 17.30 (followed by Welcome Reception)
Wednesday: 09.30 to 17.30
Thursday: 09.30 to 16.30

CST is sponsoring a Cyber Café located within the Exhibition Hall for all delegates, exhibitors and visitors to use, as well as free WiFi access to emails for delegates in all conference areas.

GETTING TO MANCHESTER CENTRAL

The venue has excellent transportation via rail link from Manchester airport and there are more than 2500 hotel rooms within a five minute walk of the Complex. Located in the centre of the UK, Manchester is served by strong road, rail and air links, making it an easily accessible location for visitors from all over the world.

By Air

Manchester airport is a major international air traffic hub with frequent scheduled flights to the majority of key UK, European and international destinations. It is nine miles (14.5 km) outside the city centre, taking approximately 25 minutes by taxi. Alternatively, there is a direct half-hourly express rail service to the city centre, which takes approximately 20 minutes.

By Rail

Manchester has direct rail connections to all major UK cities – London is just over two hours away. Services come into the city at either Piccadilly or Victoria station, both of which connect to the Metrolink light-rail system. You can also take advantage of the free Metroshuttle bus that travels between the two stations across the city centre. For information on train services to Manchester, visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Metrolink

The extensive Metrolink tram service covers the city centre and areas of Greater Manchester. To reach the venue, follow signs for Metrolink from either Piccadilly or Victoria, purchase a City Zone ticket on the platform and take a tram heading for Altrincham or Eccles, alighting at St. Peter's Square. Manchester Central is then a five-minute walk away behind the Midland Hotel.

By Road

Manchester is at the heart of the Northwest's motorway network with easy access from all directions onto the M60, the city's orbital motorway. Once on the M60, exit at Junction 12 and join the M602 sign posted towards the city centre. Follow the A57 straight on from the end of the M602, passing under a railway bridge before taking the left exit to merge onto the A56 Bridgewater Way. Turn right onto Whitworth Street West at Deansgate station and then turn left onto Albion Street. The entrance to the Manchester Central Car Park is through the next set of traffic lights on the left, opposite The Bridgewater Hall. If using Satellite Navigation/GPS, type in M2 3GX.

HOTEL RESERVATION

European Microwave Week 2011 has teamed up with Hotelzon to offer a wide range of accommodations to suit every budget at competitive rates for the event. To do so, visit Hotelzon's Booking Page at www.hotelzon.com/uk/exhibitions/eumw2011/ and make your reservation or email exhibitions@hotelzon.co.uk.

SIGHTSEEING

Manchester has embraced change wholeheartedly, restoring its industrial landscape and combining that heritage with contemporary urban design to create a cityscape that blends the best of the old and new. Modern day Manchester is a vital and sophisticated urban capital that influences the world in science, business, fashion, style, music and culture.

Bristling with pubs, bars and clubs, the city centre truly does offer a friendly welcome with everything from a pint of local ale to a sophisticated cocktail. The city continues to be recognised as a thriving nightspot. Dining in Manchester is a real cosmopolitan culinary experience with a host of quality restaurants to choose from, whether it is British, Chinese, Russian, Thai or Brazilian.

Manchester has a wealth of shopping outlets from large department stores to independent boutiques and high end fashion to value-for-money purchases. Prestigious designer stores can be found on King Street and St. Anne's Square and along Deansgate. There are well-known department stores and independent stores along Market Street and in the Arndale (said to be Europe's largest city centre shopping mall).

For culture, there are about 90 museums in and around Manchester, while the city's art galleries house collections that range from the classical to the contemporary. Most museums and galleries offer free admission. For a show visit, the Palace Theatre, Royal Exchange and Opera House. Alternatively, there is the Library Theatre on the basement level of the city's beautiful, circular Central Library. For more information visit: www.manchestercentral.co.uk or www.visitmanchester.com.

In advance, take time to familiarise yourself with the event and plan your visit by logging onto the show website: www.eumweek.com. The website offers information about the conferences, registration, social activities and more. Microwave Journal will feature the EuMW 2011 Online Show Daily web page with up-to-date news, new products, photos, videos, exclusive articles and more at www.mwjournal.com/eumw2011.