We are soon heading to IFA, the European consumer tech showcase held in Berlin every year. Ubergizmo has been covering IFA since 2013 and is an official media partner of the 2019 edition. IFA has grown significantly over the years to attract over 245,000 visitors and 1814 exhibitors last year on a vast compound of 161,200 square meters.
IFA 2019 takes place at the Messe Berlin Exhibition Grounds from September 06 to September 11.
In addition, IFA Global Markets, a B2B exhibition dedicated to professionals and industry experts, will be held from 8 September to September 11, at STATION-Berlin, a 20,000-square-meter exhibition ground. According to the organizer, IFA Global Markets is the largest European sourcing market for the consumer and home electronics segments.
IFA is undoubtedly one of the top international trade shows for Consumer Electronics and Home Appliances, and significant new consumer tech products are launched at IFA. To know more about the new devices that are expected at the show, read about what we expect to see at IFA 2019.
Judith Rakers under discussion with Hans-Joachim Kamp, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of gfu (photo credit: courtesy of IFA)
Hans-Joachim Kamp, Chairman of the supervisory board of gfu Consumer & Home Electronics, the organizer of IFA, said that “In 2018 the global market of Technical Consumer Goods (TGC) generated a turnover of more than one trillion Euros for the first time, an increase of 3.3%. For 2019 we again expect an increase in turnover of 1% up to €1.052tn. Especially Europe, North America, Middle East and Africa are growth markets. For consumer electronics, we forecast a stable development, while home appliances are expected to grow again”.
According to Mr. Kamp, the future looks bright for consumer electronics and home appliances, and we expect a great 2019 IFA edition!
Keynotes
Photo credit: IFA
During the keynotes, top executives will share their visions about all relevant IFA segments: lifestyle, telecommunications & infrastructure, TV & entertainment, and home appliances.
At IFA 2019, the major keynotes will be presented by Richard Yu, the Chief Executive Officer of Huawei (Opening keynote 09/06/2019 10.30 am), and Christiano Amon, the President of Qualcomm (09/06/2019 2 pm).
Link to Keynotes https://b2b.ifa-berlin.com/IFA/ConventionsConferences/IFAKeynotes/
IFA NEXT, the innovation hub with Japan as its Global Innovation Partner
Photo credit: IFA
The major part of IFA is spent roaming around the hundreds of booths to play with the new gadgets, music devices, gaming platforms, robots, smart appliances, drones, AR/VR demos from the top OEMs. However, IFA offers a specific exhibition hall for startups to showcase their latest innovations and discuss what the future will look like: IFA NEXT.
“Japan is a country that was the main driver to create the world of consumer electronics as we know it today, and that – once again – has become an incredible hub for industry research, thought leadership, and start-up innovation,” said Dr. Christian Göke, CEO, Messe Berlin.
IFA+ Summit
Melinda Crane, journalist. Photo credit: IFA
Each year, IFA+ Summit gathers global thought leaders, technologists, and creative visionaries who share their thoughts on innovations for the upcoming decade. Held on Sunday, September 8 and Monday, September 9, the convention will attract over 550 experts, scientists, artists, developers, and leading professionals.
This year, data will be the star at IFA+ Summit, the title of the conference is “Shifting patterns – the Rise of Dataism.”
The conversations will focus on data, quantum bits, artificial intelligence, blockchain, privacy, and how those technologies will shape our future.
Several women technologists are going to speak on stage including Shermin Voshmgir, the Director of the Cryptoeconomics Research Lab at the University of Vienna and the founder of BlockchainHub.
She is considered a blockchain pioneer. “Believe me, I am fed up talking about ’women in tech’ and the lack thereof just as much as you probably are. But given the statistics, we still have to do it,” says Shermin Voshmgir. We can only agree with Ms. Voshmgir.
When it comes to data, specifically personal data, security and privacy are significant topics that are complex to grasp, and given the recent major breaches, are challenging to master, even for world experts.
Ann Cavoukian, one of the world’s leading data privacy experts will present the system she has created, “Privacy by Design” a system that can help to embed data privacy from the very beginning into information technologies, digital networks and companies. Privacy by Design is today an international standard and part of the European General Data Protection Regulation.
Madeleine C. Elish will foster an interesting conversation around the influence of artificial intelligence and automation on society. In her latest work, she is looking at how artificial intelligence is influencing our understanding of values and ethical standards, and how our working world is changing as a result.
Photo credit: IFA
To learn more, head to the IFA+ Summit official page.
SHIFT Automotive at IFA
Cars are becoming computers on wheels, powered by innovations from the automobile and electronics sectors. On Sept 10 and 11, experts will present their roadmap to the future of the automobile, and show how it may change people’s lives.
The first day will focus on how people perceive new mobility experiences and how the industry can build trust. The second day is about new technologies, designs, and policies that will be the underlying force of change going forward.
For more information about Shift Automotive, read the official flyer.