Attending European Microwave Week 2003

The 6^th European Microwave Week, to be held October 6 to 10 at the International Congress Centre Munich (ICM), is capitalizing on the success of previous events, with expected growth in the number of delegates and visitors.

The Week covers all major aspects of RF, microwave, millimetre and sub-millimetre wave engineering, including microwave and photonic devices, device and component technologies, circuits and systems, theoretical as well as experimental approaches, wireless terrestrial- and satellite-based communication, radar and related sensor and imaging systems for transportation, earth observation, medical, and other important areas of application. Supplementing the conferences are a variety of dedicated workshops, short courses and tutorials, focusing on specific, up-to-date topics in the field of microwave technologies.

Furthermore, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the Conference Programme is enhanced by the European Microwave Exhibition, the leading trade show on RF and microwaves in Europe, giving delegates and visitors the opportunity to be informed of the latest products and services of leading international RF and microwave companies.

The official European Microwave Week Opening Ceremony takes place on Tuesday morning, and like all other Opening and Closing Sessions, is open to all conference delegates. The Tuesday evening Welcome Reception will bring together conference delegates and industrial representatives.

To make sure that you don't miss these important events and to help you plan your visit the following quick reference guide is designed to complement the Conference Programme and Exhibition Catalogue, where you will find in-depth information.

The Conferences

GAAS 2003 - the European Gallium Arsenide and other Compound Semiconductors Application Symposium takes place on Monday, the 6^th and Tuesday, the 7^th.
The 33rd European Microwave Conference (EuMC 2003) runs from Tuesday, the 7^th to Thursday, the 9^th.
The European Conference on Wireless Technology (ECWT 2003) takes place on Thursday, the 9^th and Friday, the 10^th, with the Opening Session on Wednesday, the 8^th.

Registration begins on Sunday, the 5^th (16.00-19.00) and commences at 07.30 each morning from Monday, the 6^th to Friday, the 10^th. The registration area and conference proceedings distribution desk will be located in the Ground Floor Foyer, which is on the right hand side when entering the ICM through the main entrance. The conference area is at the rear left part of the ICM on the ground floor as well as on the first floor and will be clearly marked from the entrance and the registration area.

GAAS 2003

Attracting a greater number of paper submissions than last year, the conference received submissions from 25 countries covering a broad spectrum of topics in the area of RF and microwave electronic devices and circuits. The result is more than 100 oral presentations in 21 sessions, with six of them being held jointly with the EuMC. The sessions include several "hot topics," including GaN power electronics, high frequency IC packaging, MEMS and sub-millimetre wave applications.

Prizes and Awards

The best three papers presented will be awarded the GAAS prizes, sponsored by Alenia Spazio, United Monolithic Semiconductors and Elisra Electronic Systems. Also, the GAAS Association Council has made available the funding of up to five Fellowship awards for young graduate researchers who are currently studying microwave electronics on a full-time basis.

European Microwave Conference (EuMC)

This year, more than 630 papers - a substantial increase of about 50 percent - were submitted by researchers, scientists and development engineers from universities, research labs and companies throughout the world. From these more than 340 scientific as well as application-oriented contributions were selected, including 42 regular sessions and three poster sessions, along with eight workshops and several special sessions and tutorials, bringing together world experts in the emerging field of microwave technology. In addition, eight sessions and one workshop have been organized jointly with the GAAS 2003 and the ECWT 2003 conferences on overlapping topics. The regular EuMC 2003 programme will start on Tuesday and will end on Thursday, whereas the workshops will take place on Monday and Friday.

Prizes

During the Closing Session on Thursday, three prizes will be awarded - the EuMC Microwave Prize for the best paper presented in a regular or poster session, the Mini-Circuits Student Fellowship for a young engineer presenting an outstanding paper, and the EuMA Radar Prize, sponsored by Raytheon for the best paper in the field of radar and radar technology.

The European Conference on Wireless Technology (ECWT)

The development and deployment of new wireless systems is reflected in the technical contributions being presented, and here again there was an increase (this time of 30 percent) in the number of papers submitted. From these a total of 18 sessions were compiled to give a conference programme covering the most recent advances in wireless technology.

The ECWT starts with a newly scheduled opening session which will take place on Wednesday afternoon and which will be accessible for all European Microwave Week participants. In addition to invited papers and poster sessions, ECWT workshops on RF and baseband architectures for future multiband/multistandard base stations and terminals and on Smart antennas are scheduled for Friday.

Prizes

The ECWT student prize will be awarded to the best student paper, together with the traditional ECWT paper prize, which is given in recognition of the highest quality paper.

The Exhibition

Recognizing the realities of today's marketplace, European Microwave Week is specifically targeting commercial applications of relevance to the RF, microwave, gallium arsenide and wireless industry. The FREE to enter exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to see, first hand, the latest technological developments from the global leaders in microwave technology.

Catch up with leading international companies from North America to Eastern Europe and from Scandinavia to the Far East (click here to see the latest exhibitor list). Exhibitors will be showcasing the latest product innovations and offering visitors hands-on demonstrations and the chance to talk technical with the experts. That will also be the case at the various technical workshops that are being held to complement the exhibition.

Exhibition Opening Hours

Tuesday 7^th October 10.00-17.30 (followed by the Welcome Reception at 18.30)

Wednesday 8^th October 09.30-17.30

Thursday 9^th October 09.30-16.30

Traveling to the ICM

The conference and exhibition centre is located to the east of Munich and has excellent road, rail and underground (U-Bahn) links. It is conveniently located near the Munich airport, approximately 30 km away. By public transport, the journey is firstly on the urban railway (S-Bahn) lines S1 and S8, changing onto the U-Bahn. However, throughout 2003 the S-Bahn from Donnersbergerbrücke to Ostbahnhof will be closed every weekend for modernisation and network expansion, so alternative routes are necessary. For up-to-date information about public transport in Munich, visit www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/mvv-info-service/index.html.

Hotels and Sightseeing

Beautiful downtown Munich, which preserves much of the medieval character of the city, while combining it with elegant modern stores, is only 20 minutes from the ICM by the underground route U2. Therefore, it is convenient to book a hotel in the centre of Munich, but be aware that the Oktoberfest only ends on the Sunday (5 October) before European Microwave Week.

Theatres, museums and galleries as well as many other places of general interest, including the Philharmonic Hall, the National Theatre, the Munich Residence and the remarkable Deutsches Museum, are close to the city centre and many other points of interest, such as fountains, churches and traditional restaurants, are within walking distance. Other sites such as the Nymphenburg Castle are conveniently accessible using public transportation.

Reservations

If you require hotel accommodations, the Hotel Booking Agency, Munich Hotel Association, will be able to book directly for you. They offer hotels in a wide price range and in different city locations. To book, log onto www.muenchen-hotel.de/eumw2003/eumw.htm and click on Travel Information.

Social Events

On Monday at 19.00, each registered GAAS delegate is invited to the GAAS 2003 Dinner, as a guest of the GAAS Association. The venue and full details will be given during registration and will be on display at the registration area.

The EuMW 2003 Welcome Reception follows on Tuesday from 18.30 to 21.00 in Room 14b at the ICM. All registered EuMC, GAAS and ECWT delegates as well as representatives from the companies participating in the exhibition are invited for the reception, sponsored by the EuMA and Horizon House Inc.

On Wednesday at 19.00 there will be a reception by invitation of the Bavarian State Government in the Kaisersaal of the Residenz München in the centre of the city. One author per paper presented at the European Microwave Week as well as a number of industrial representatives will receive a free ticket upon request. More information will be available at the registration desk. In addition, there is a selection of half and one-day tours available for those who wish to sightsee.