EDI CON, the new conference/exhibition being organized by Microwave Journal and Horizon House for next March in Beijing, reflects the industry trend to broaden its scope on multiple fronts – technology, geography and opportunity.
With regard to technology, EDI CON is an acknowledgment that today’s electronics are developed through multiple disciplines, targeting diverse platforms. Highly specialized engineering skills must integrate with other knowledge centers. As physical component-level design goes hand in hand with system integration, the component designer must be cognizant of system requirements and vice versa. Supported by new technologies (i.e., semiconductors, materials, passives, interconnect, etc.) and new solutions in simulation and testing, the designer is both empowered and perhaps overwhelmed. Meanwhile, the challenges facing physical design at RF and microwave frequencies are virtually equivalent to those of high speed multi-gigabit design. Much of the difference is in terminology. Knowledge of system-level and high-speed design along with newly available technologies at the individual engineering level leads to professional advancement and allows our industry as a whole to grow.
Regarding geography, technology’s steady march forward is driven by need and opportunity, both of which are in abundance in the world’s largest emerging markets. The correlation between a country’s access to information technology and its wealth has the governments of India and China looking to develop infrastructure on par with leading economies. As a result, they are heavily investing in technology and the training to either buy it or build it. Responding to Beijing policies, Chinese universities have produced a large population of engineers and the country is now home to many leading, multi-national technology companies as well as home-grown telecommunication giants such as Huawei and ZTE. Keeping in step with the global aspirations of our industry, EDI CON will join these companies in China to provide a forum for face-to-face interaction.
As for opportunity, the “I” in EDI CON stands for innovation – the act of introducing new things and methods through innovative thinking. In 2006, the Chinese government introduced an “indigenous innovation” policy to help steer its economy from low wage manufacturing to higher wage design. The initial policy, which gave preferential treatment to Chinese companies over multi-nationals, has since been modified to encourage innovation regardless of the company’s origins. This is appropriate as many of these North American - and European - based companies operating in China are being staffed by Chinese engineers with a wide range of skills, working closely with their respective companies’ global engineering teams. EDI CON will be that opportunity for all parties to exchange knowledge, understand new challenges and discover opportunities for growth. Innovation brought on by the confluence of technologists from all over the world for the benefit of the entire microwave community, regardless of location.
With this in mind, we now are accepting papers for presentation in Beijing, March 2013.