electronica Nov 2014
20
H
IGHLIGHTS
Showcase of latest innovations
of entire electronics industry
By Wolfgang Patelay,
Editor
Electronica, the leading trade fair
for electronic components, systems,
and applications is celebrating its 50th
birthday in 2014. From November
11 to 14, 2014, the key topics at the
fairgrounds of Messe München will be
automotive, embedded systems,
lighting and medical electronics, as
well as the over-arching themes of
security and energy efficiency.
This year, about 2,700 exhibitors
from all over the world are presenting
their products and services.
Nowadays everyone is talking about the
Internet of Things (IoT). The industrial sector
is hoping that greater networking will improve
working processes. The semiconductor indus-
try is playing a key role in the success of the
Internet of Things. Its products and solutions
are helping to ensure that the processes run as
quickly, smoothly and reliably as possible. The
CEO Roundtable on the morning of the first
day of the trade fair will therefore feature a
discussion entitled "Internet of Things: Possi-
bilities, Challenges and the Question of Secu-
rity". Carlo Bozotti from STMicroelectronics,
Rick Clemmer from NXP, Gregg A. Lowe
from Freescale and Dr. Reinhard Ploss, CEO
of Infineon, will take part in the discussion.
Because many companies are concerned
about the risks of using networked systems
and are worried that they cannot judge what
security measures are actually needed, experts
will provide tips on the subject at the electron-
ica Forum on Tuesday, November 11 from
14:00 until 15:30. The forum will start with
a presentation entitled "An introduction to
cyber security – what are the risks for com-
panies?" In addition, two speakers will talk
about "How companies can prepare for hack-
ing attacks with weakness analyses and secu-
rity reviews" and how to put in place a suitable
security concept in reality.
Basis for the IoT are more compact, more reli-
able, and more modular embedded systems.
The global market for embedded systems is
growing at a rate of up to eight percent. Mar-
ket volume in Germany alone is currently
more than 20 billion euros. To develop a suc-
cessful electronic product, selecting the right
embedded building blocks is not the only
thing that matters. Interaction between the
various components that is optimized for the
respective application – i.e. the best hardware
and software ecosystem – is also important.
The embedded platforms conference is ded-
icated to these ecosystems. The conference,
which is being held at the Messe München
Press Center East on November 12 and 13,
also deals with basic issues that pertain to
component selection and system design. Pre-
sentations by processor manufacturers and
OS/RTOS companies such as IAR, Infineon
MicroConsult, Silica and Texas Instruments
will inform participants about the optimum
selection of various tools, Open Source soft-
ware, multicore migration and design chal-
lenges within ecosystems. Visitors will get
additional insights into this specialty area at
the embedded Forum in Hall A6. Presenta-
tions about "Smart Energy ", "ARM-based
Microcontrollers, FPGAs & SoCs", “Internet
of Things” and a number of other topics will
give them comprehensive information about
components and practical applications.
Automotive electronics is one of the most
important segments in the market for
embedded electronic components. Automo-
biles already have on-board computers as
well as infotainment and assistance systems
with a constantly growing range of functions.
Electromobility, or the increased network-
ing of automobiles and the development of
autonomous driving, could mean additional
potential for the industry. The economic
development agency Germany Trade and
Invest expects that global market volume for
automotive electronics last year will be worth
some 190 billion US dollars. According to a
forecast by the German Electrical and Elec-
tronic Manufacturers Association (ZVEI),
(images: Courtesy of Messe
München International)
