More than 560 companies from all over the world have come together in Montreal June 17-22 for the IEEE MTT-S 2012 International Microwave Symposium (IMS 2012). IMS 2012’s theme, “Microwaves without Borders” is evident through the diversity in the exhibiting organizations, which hail from 21 different countries. This is on par with last year’s symposium and includes the first time an exhibitor from Serbia will attend.

IMS 2012 marks only the second time that the symposium is being held outside of the United States, after the city of Ottowa, Ontario in 1978. Montreal provides an exciting backdrop for IMS2012 with its deep engineering history, multicultural make-up and old-world charm.

IMS 2012 at a Glance:

  • Number of exhibitors: 569
  • Number of new exhibitors: 55
  • Exhibitors Geographically: USA – 424; Europe – 54; Asia – 56; Canada – 31; Middle East - 3  
  • Technical Workshops: 33
  • Technical Papers: 444 (out of 841 submitted)
  • Number of Technical Sessions: 78  

“This year’s theme, ‘Microwaves Without Borders,’ represents the international collaboration at the heart of IMS and our goal to bring together experts from all over the world to share, discuss, learn and advance the industry,” said Dr. Ke Wu, chair of IMS 2012. “The Microwave industry continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, and the numerous countries represented in Montreal are further evidence of the growth and developments from all over the world.”

Of the 21 countries that will be represented, the United States leads the way with 424 exhibitors, followed by Canada and China with 31 and 27 exhibitors respectively. Korea with 16 exhibitors is followed by Great Britain and Germany, each with 15, to round out the top five countries by exhibitors. Other countries where multiple exhibitors will be traveling from include France (10), Taiwan (8), Japan (5), Switzerland (3), Russia (3), Ireland (2), and Israel (2). Single exhibitors from Australia, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, Italy and Spain will also attend along with Serbia, which will be represented at IMS for the first time.

More than 75 percent of the countries represented in 2011 either stayed consistent or increased the number of exhibitors attending IMS 2012. Canada and China experienced the biggest growth along with additional exhibitors from countries including Israel, Ireland, France, Sweden, Great Britain, Russia and Japan.

IMS 2012 also reported a record number of papers submitted in 2012 from 49 different countries including Portugal, Tunisia and Macau. The U.S., Canada and China led the top three countries in paper submissions.

In addition to symposium’s robust technical program, IMS 2012 will also host the 60th anniversary celebration of the Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S), which will feature a variety of historical sessions, a panel session with prominent MTT-S members, and an enhanced historical exhibit, among other events. 

Key Symposium Events:

  • Plenary Session: Monday, June 18, 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. (Palais des Congrès,Room 710)
  • Historical Sessions:
    • Globalization of Engineering Education and Research: Opportunities and Challenges – Tuesday, June 19, 1:50 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Room 510AC)
    • A Retrospective of Field Theory in Microwave Engineering - Wednesday, June 20, 8 a.m. – 9:40 a.m. (Room 511CF)
    • The Evolution of Some Key Active and Passive Microwave Components – Thursday, June 21, 10:10 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. (Room 511CF)
  • Awards Banquet: Wednesday, June 20, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Palais des Congrès,Room 701)
  • Closing Ceremony: Thursday, June 21, 4 p.m. (Palais des Congrès,Room 710)