Microwave Journal
www.microwavejournal.com/articles/8436-welcome-to-european-microwave-week-2009

Welcome to European Microwave Week 2009

September 1, 2009

For the RF and microwave community, all roads (air lines and train tracks) lead to Rome as the city’s Nuova Fiera di Roma plays host to the 12th European Microwave Week. All modes of transport will bring delegates, exhibitors and visitors from across the globe to Europe’s leading event, which runs from 28 September to 2 October. Just as the Eternal City has the lure of ancient history, architecture, art and high fashion, European Microwave Week offers the draw of the latest research and development, innovative products and the opportunity for discussion and networking.


EuMW 2009 intends to build on the Bridging Gaps theme that epitomised last year’s event in Amsterdam, taking it a stage further and ‘extending bridges’ by strengthening intellectual, technological and geographical links. The Week is seen as a meeting point and catalyst for unification and growth, not just for those with established RF and microwave industries, but also for emerging regions.

The four conferences—the 39th European Microwave Conference (EuMC), the 4th European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference (EuMIC), the 2nd European Wireless Technology Conference (EuWiT) and the 6th European Radar Conference (EuRAD)—specifically target ground breaking innovation in microwave research through a call for papers that explicitly invite the submission of presentations on the latest trends in the field, driven by industry roadmaps. The result was an exceptional number of papers (over 1,250) from all over the world, particularly from Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.

There are also Focused Sessions on cutting-edge technologies, workshops and short courses given by leading experts in a variety of areas from microwave circuits and technologies to wireless and radar applications, together with addresses by invited speakers aimed at stimulating interest and debate.

Rome was not built in a day and neither was the now sold out European Microwave Week Exhibition, which has developed gradually over recent years to become the premier RF and microwave exhibition in Europe. With a wide and focussed audience it attracts international players, not just from Europe but from across the globe, particularly the US and Asia. This year the choice of Rome as the venue has added a new dimension with all of the leading Italian players in the defence sector taking part, alongside a variety of other local companies.

The exhibition acts as an interactive forum for microwave companies to showcase and discuss the latest technical developments and has established itself as the stage that manufacturers target for launching new products and making major announcements. For those wanting to get hands-on experience and guidance direct from the experts there are also exhibitor workshops and short courses on various subjects. The next generation is also catered for with Tutorial Seminars for Young Engineers aimed at encouraging young engineers along their chosen career paths.

Young engineers and researchers are also being challenged to test their technical and application-oriented innovation skills through the EuMW 2009 Student Challenge. It continues this year following its successful introduction in 2008, as does the Women in Engineering event, which will focus on the contribution and role of women in our industry.

The historical city of Rome warrants that EuMW 2009 recognises the microwave industry’s own history. There will be a celebration of the Nobel Prize for Physics that was awarded 100 years ago to Guglielmo Marconi and Karl Ferdinand Braun in ‘recognition of their contributions to the development of wireless telegraphy’ and a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the European Microwave Conference.

The EuMW Welcome Reception is another established element of EuMW, which gathers academia and industry together to interact, network and socialise. Other social highlights include the EuMW Gala Dinner in the Complesso Monumentale Santo Spirito in Saxia, which was a refuge for pilgrims arriving in Rome to visit the Apostle Peter’s tomb. The Partner Programme also provides the opportunity to visit historical and cultural sites both in Rome and the surrounding area, including the area of Fori Romani, the Vatican City and the Catacombs.

EuMW 2009 could not be realised without the valuable contribution of many enthusiastic colleagues in universities, industry and research centres all over the world that have helped to organise this year’s event. On behalf of the Local Organising Committee, we would like to express our gratitude to the four international Technical Programme Committees and the hundreds of reviewers who worked hard to shape the final conference programme.

Thanks goes to those who organised the special sessions, the focused sessions, the workshops and short courses, and the special events. We also acknowledge the EuMA Board for its continued support and the Horizon House personnel assigned to this event for their experience and guidance that has again proved invaluable in leading the chair and his team through all the steps of organising a challenging, world-class exhibition. Finally, we wish to acknowledge the financial and in-kind sponsorship of many industrial enterprises and other organizations.

Great efforts have been made to ensure that European Microwave Week’s first visit to Rome is productive and memorable. It gives the RF and microwave industry the perfect arena to showcase its undoubtable skills and provide impetus for moving forward. See you there.

Paolo Lampariello Ivar Bazzy Welcome from Paolo Lampariello, General Chairman of EuMW 2009, and Ivar Bazzy, President, Horizon House Publications.