Figure 1 Pennsylvania Convention Center (Courtesy of Pennsylvania Convention Center).
Welcome to Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love! IMS2018 will be held June 10-15 as part of the IMS Microwave Week of conferences at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia (see Figure 1). The week’s conferences include the customary Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC) Symposium and Automatic Radio Frequency Techniques Group (ARFTG) Conference, and unique to 2018, the 2018 International Microwave Bio-Conference (IMBioC 2018). In addition, the 5G Summit will co-locate at the event through a partnership with Communications Society (ComSoc).
As many long-time IMS attendees know, the IMS and the IEEE Microwave Theory & Techniques Society (MTT-S) that organizes the IMS have been successful for a very long time. For IMS, 2018 is the 61st year of technical sessions and the 46th year of exhibits. For MTT-S, 2018 is the 66th year of its formation. The MTT-S has maintained IMS’ leading status as the only show in the world where exceptional talents that produce cutting edge technology meet to collaborate with a mature industry that produces solutions, services and products. There is no other event with the size and breadth of subjects as the IMS for anyone associated with RF, microwave and mmWave technology and industry.
The IMS success is achieved by focusing on the fundamentals, something that I call “listen, learn, earn and enjoy.” IMS addresses the needs of all its attendees—from students trying to “listen and learn” the latest developments in theory and techniques; to researchers and practitioners who publish their latest peer-reviewed work to collaborate and “earn” acclaim from their peers; to industry partners who provide the products and services, and must “earn” a good ROI for the time and treasure that they invest in the exhibition. Finally, and as importantly, every attendee must “enjoy” the IMS Microwave Week that is a large annual family get-together—a worldwide family with a shared interest to create technologies that improve our everyday lives.
As MTT-S and IMS mature, the early discoveries of field theory, device physics and circuit design have blossomed to the current age of “systems, services and products.” IMS2018 focuses, through its theme “Microwaves, Medicine Mobility,” on two such areas. The first area is “Mobility,” exemplified by the approaching deployment of 5G services and applications. This topic is highlighted throughout the week by a series of workshops, technical sessions and the one-day 5G Summit co-sponsored by MTT-S and ComSoc. It is further complemented by the 5G Pavilion in our exhibition, where industry partners demonstrate 5G hardware and services, as well as educate us at the 5G theater “fire-side” chats.
The second area is “Medicine,” where our community has provided practical solutions and products whether they are for diagnostics, therapy or tele-medicine. This topic is highlighted by the Plenary Session talk by Dr. Stephen Klasko, president and CEO of the $5 billon Jefferson Health System. Technical, focus and special sessions; workshops and short courses; and Thursday’s “Panel with Practicing Physicians” is culminated by the IMS Closing and IMBioC Opening Session talk by Dr. Nicholas J. Ruggiero II, M.D.
Other areas where significant development is seen in past years include 3D technology and products, radar sensors, large MIMO systems and my favorite, “Direct Digital RF Transceivers.” In each of these areas, hitherto insurmountable limitations are overcome by a new generation of technologists equally adept at microwaves, photonics and signal processing. MTT-S and IMS have taken note of these trends, providing ample opportunities for our attendees to listen, learn and participate in what I am sure will be an exciting conference. Our industry partners (in the exhibition) have opportunities to interface with the attendees during the Wednesday noon through 4 p.m. “Exhibition Only” time. The Micro-Apps Theater and Industry Workshops provide additional opportunities for IMS partners to highlight their products and services. Unique to IMS2018, our industry can guide the future of talented students, most of who specialize on topics that were previously mentioned as the amalgam for the future, at the Thursday “Career Counseling Fair.”
MTT-S and IMS are a global community and you are a major part of it. Your key to this community is the IMS Mobile App, available in the App Store and Google Play. Starting in 2018, the IMS Mobile App will be a portal to everything related to IMS—information, registration, content downloads and, yes, a social networking feature that lets you opt-in to maintain contact with your peers throughout the year. MTT-S and IMS will also be reaching out to you with announcements and updates via the Mobile App.