Welcome to ExCeL London for the 19th European Microwave Week (EuMW) from 3to 7 October, when Europe’s premier microwave event returns to the UK capital after an absence of 15 years. A generous venue rich in facilities, ExCeL London now has the means to provide the interaction, flow and intimacy that EuMW demands. During the week it will be home to three conferences: the 46th European Microwave Conference (EuMC), the 11th European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference (EuMIC) and the 13th European Radar Conference (EuRAD), together with the European Microwave Exhibition and affiliated workshops and short courses.
London has been home to Newton, Faraday, Maxwell, Franklin, Babbage and Fleming who were all Fellows of the Royal Society. In a similar vein, EuMW 2016 welcomes the current and future generations of RF and microwave engineers/scientists, be they speakers, delegates, exhibitors or visitors. Such inclusivity is reflected in this year’s motto—Microwaves Everywhere—which recognizes the way microwave technology is fully integrated into our lifestyles, continuously opening up new frontiers that will govern how individuals and objects communicate, sense and move.
Whether these frontiers are technological or geographical they will be crossed and addressed at EuMW 2016. There are four special and three focused sessions drawing attention to interesting technical topics and links with other microwave communities. There are sessions updating advances in THz imaging and multipactor effects as well as the new topic of surface waves, together with selected papers from the Asia Pacific Conference, the European EMC Conference, the UK ARMMS RF & Microwave Measurement Society (www.armms.org) and a special group of papers highlighting activities from countries in South, Central and North America.
The invited speakers for the opening and closing sessions of EuMC, EuMIC and EuRAD are leaders in their respective fields who will consider cutting edge concepts. Details can be found in Attending EuMW 2016 on page 78 where the content of all three conferences is outlined. Complementary to the conferences are the workshops and short courses, which will cover key themes including: 5G communications; GaN, CMOS and SiGe technologies and their applications in the mmWave and THz bands; additive manufacturing; power amplifiers; developments in space based technologies; and automotive, multistatic and space based radar.
London can definitely be classified as a complex urban environment, so could be used as a practical example during the 2016 Defence, Security and Space Forum, which this year focuses on defence and security in Complex Urban Environments. The Forum will take place on Wednesday 5 October and more information can be found on page 94.
EuMW 2016 also aims to create the right environment for students and young engineers looking for a career in the RF and microwave sector to meet companies and network via the Career Platform. They will also be able to impress in a competitive environment through the Student Challenge poster competition where groups of students develop new ideas based on papers presented at the conference. Similarly, the Student Design Competition is a design and measurement contest where the students present the performance of their prototypes in a special event held during the week.
The well-established Women in Engineering event, co-sponsored by the IEEE MTT-Society, will feature a panel session focused on “Inspiring Women in Engineering,” where those aiming for the stars will be inspired by a visit to the Greenwich Royal Observatory at the end of the session.
Andrew Gibson
Those who want to observe the latest products and services from the leading RF and microwave companies across the globe can get close-up and personal at the European Microwave Exhibition that spans the middle of the week from 4 to 6 October. Accessed adjacent to the registration area on the Boulevard via entrance S11 Halls 20 to 23 will be filled to capacity with over 300 exhibiting companies taking up around 7800 square metres of gross space.
The invaluable European Microwave Week Microwave Application Seminars (MicroApps) offer engineers the practical solutions that can make a difference. They will take place in the MicroApps Auditorium on the show floor for the entire three days of the exhibition and provide a platform for education and discussion. The Exhibition Halls will also be the home of the conference Poster Sessions and Copper Mountain sponsored coffee breaks, feature the Publisher’s Corner and the ever popular CST sponsored Cyber Café.
There will be more than coffee available at the welcome reception on Tuesday evening, which provides networking opportunities and a convivial atmosphere that actively encourages delegates and industry to interact and socialize. On Wednesday evening socializing will move from ExCeL London to the River Thames for a cruise, including a cocktail reception on board a river boat as it tours London’s famous landmarks after dark. Mixing business and pleasure can be enjoyed throughout the week through the strong calendar of social events.
Ivar Bazzy
To bring EuMW 2016 to London and to fruition, from paper submission and review to the on-site organization at the venue, has been a major undertaking. So, on behalf of the Local Organising Committee we would like to thank the Technical Programme Committees of the three conferences along with the reviewers who worked tirelessly to shape the conference programmes. We would like to acknowledge the EuMA Board for its continued advice and guidance and thank the Horizon House personnel assigned to EuMW for their indispensable expertise and support in organising this major event. Recognition should also go to the organisers of workshops, special sessions and student events and we also acknowledge the significant financial and in-kind sponsorship of many industrial companies and organisations.
Microwaves may be everywhere but in the first week of October the focus of the microwave community will be trained on ExCeL London and we look forward to seeing you there.