Microwave Journal
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Welcome to European Microwave Week 2017

September 14, 2017

For complete coverage of the EuMW conference, event news, exhibitor product information and special reports from the editors of Microwave Journal, visit our online show daily at www.mwjournal.com/eumw2017

Grüß Gott and welcome to Nuremberg! The medieval city is at the heart of Franconia in Northern Bavaria and, from Sunday the 8th to Friday the 13th of October, it will open its heart and the doors of the Nürnberg Convention Center (NCC) to the RF and microwave community as it plays host to the 20th European Microwave Week. The lifeblood of the event is three conferences: the 47th European Microwave Conference (EuMC), the 12th European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference (EuMIC) and the 14th European Radar Conference (EuRAD), not forgetting the European Microwave Exhibition and complementary workshops, short courses and seminars.

The motto for the Week is “A Prime Year for a Prime Event,” and due to its active and productive industry, geographical location and robust economy, Germany is a prime destination for EuMW. A specific aim this year is to capitalise on the strength of international, national and local industry and academia with the introduction of the new Session Keynotes format, which is designed to boost industrial participation and intensify the interaction between industry and academia. For this, internationally recognised experts from the industry will open selected sessions with presentations on challenges and state-of-the-art achievements in their field.

The depth and quality of the conference programme is demonstrated by the three Focused Sessions that cover subjects from conformal antennas for defence, security and space applications, to advanced materials, through to the latest developments in vacuum electronics. EuMW is truly global—attracting visitors worldwide alongside international exhibitors and conference contributors. For instance, four of the six special sessions highlight research activities in Central Europe, the Asia Pacific Region and in Latin America.

The fifth Special Session considers the latest research on stochastic approaches in Electromagnetic Compatibility, while the sixth illustrates the increasing importance of funding as representatives from U.S., European and German agencies promote international funding opportunities. More information on the content of EuMC, EuMIC and EuRAD can be found in Attending EuMW 2017.

Germany is at the forefront of automotive development, with RF and microwave technology playing a vital role in the industry’s advancement. That effort is being recognised and demonstrated to a greater extent than ever before at EuMW 2017, where the focus is on: Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) on its way to Highly Automated Driving (HAD) in the future, with four workshops and three sessions within EuRAD discussing the subject. Also, within the entrance hall of the Nuremberg Messe at NCC OST there will be a special exhibition of technology demonstrators and test cars from Mercedes-Benz, Bosch, Hella and Valeo, which can be viewed during normal exhibition hours.

The Defence, Security & Space Forum continues to go where no forum has gone before, as it ventures into “The Internet of Space —Technologies and Applications.” The Forum will examine how a new class of satellite communication can be developed utilising state-of-the-art microwave and millimetre wave technologies. The Forum encompasses the EuRAD Opening Session and concludes with the Executive Forum. More information can be found on page 88.

EuMW promotes inclusivity, epitomised by the Women in Microwave Engineering event, sponsored by IEEE MTT-S, which will consider “Communications: Past, Present and Future,” and conclude with a visit to the ‘Rundfunkmuseum Fürth’ for a demonstration of the Nuremberg metropolitan area’s historical role of the RF industry.

As well as delving into history, EuMW 2017 will also look to the future through events specifically tailored to the younger generation, including the very successful Student Challenge. The Student Design Competition comprises two tasks that should be prepared in advance, and also features a design task to be carried out on-site. Designed to address the needs of PhD students, the topic of the second European Microwave Doctoral School will be “RFIC Design Cycle and Emerging Topics.” Additionally, the School offers talks on soft skills and social events. EuMW 2017 will also see the second European Microwave Student School for bachelor and master students from all over Europe, which will address the topic of “Radar Techniques and Technologies.” Last but not least, The Career Platform will continue the successful format of previous years.

An integral and vital constituent of EuMW is the European Microwave Exhibition, which this year will take up 8,000 square metres of gross space and has, at the time of writing, attracted 349 exhibiting companies. The exhibition hall will not only be a focal point for innovation, where companies from around the globe will showcase and demonstrate their products and services, but it will also be a platform for interaction.

Offering an industry lead focus, the European Microwave Week Microwave Application Seminars (MicroApps) will take place in the MicroApps Auditorium for the entire three days of the exhibition. Also, this year, Interactive Sessions will see papers displayed on active presentation screens instead of the posters used in previous years. The Sessions will be located in the conference area on Monday and Friday and in the exhibition hall for the three days of the exhibition. CST will facilitate vital access to emails and the web through its sponsorship of Wi-Fi, while the exhibition hall will be the home of the Publisher’s Corner and the conference Coffee Breaks, sponsored by Copper Mountain. For the first time, water dispensers, sponsored by Keysight Technologies, will be located on all three conference levels to provide refreshment on-the-go to delegates.

The opportunity to make connections of the networking kind will be provided by the Keysight Technologies sponsored Welcome Reception on Tuesday evening, which is designed to be convivial and encourage interaction between delegates and industry. Other social events include Monday’s EuMIC Dinner and the EuRAD Lunch on Friday. In addition, the Free State of Bavaria will host a reception on Wednesday at the ‘Kaiserburg,’ the imperial castle of Nuremberg.

Another sight worth seeing in Nuremberg is the Frauenkirche in the Main Market Square—a church which features the Männleinlaufen mechanical clock where ornate figures emerge at noon. To make EuMW 2017 run like clockwork has taken a great deal of time and effort. So, on behalf of the Local Organising Committee we would like to thank the Technical Programme Committees of the three conferences, along with some 450 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.

Nuremberg is primed and ready to host the RF and microwave community, and we are looking forward to welcoming you to EuMW 2017.

Arne Jacob, General Chairman of EuMW 2017 Ivar Bazzy, President, Horizon House Publications

Arne Jacob Ivar Bazzy