Scan Magazine | Fair of the Month | Denmark
Fair of the Month, Denmark
Catch a glimpse into the future It is no exaggeration to say that technology has come to define our modern world, and the revolution shows no sign of slowing down: on the contrary, technology’s impact on the way we interact, produce and do business keeps expanding, and only our collective imagination is the limit. This September, the E-18 conference and exhibition will once again showcase some of the newest technological, electronic and robotic advances in Odense, Denmark. By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Odense Congress Center
The E-conferences began back in 2002 – the year that digital capacity exceeded analogue storage handling abilities for the first time, signalling the advent of the digital age. “It’s just incredible to think about all the changes that have occurred in the field since then,” says E-18’s project manager, Søren Therkelsen. “The internet was still a new household thing, and progress has anything but slowed down since.” The life-changing pace of technological evolution is perhaps best felt when we consider that the smartphone – and the app development that accompanied 94 | Issue 110 | March 2018
it – only really gained traction ten years ago. And those are just the most visible areas of change. “Technology businesses and electronics producers have seen their entire industry transformed beyond recognition with recent concepts like Big Data and IoT,” Therkelsen adds. “These will be big at the conference this year.”
“We’ll have different areas, such as an innovation zone, to connect people across different expertises, as well as a greater focus on the conference and workshops. There will even be a parallel robotics exhibition for the first time, in recognition of the fact that robotics, electronics and digitalisation are more intricately tied together than ever.”
Complex cooperation
Several well-known international companies will make their first visit or return to showcase their newest products – and to meet future collaborators. One of those companies is the electronics giant Arrow, which has been part of the exhibition at the E-conferences since the beginning. This year, they are also on the committee for E-18.
The last conference, E-16, took place two years ago and featured 142 exhibitors from Denmark and abroad as well as 3,600 visitors and 75 conference talks. “This year will be even bigger,” Therkelsen notes.
“As the technological world becomes increasingly complex, expansive and intricate, the benefits of cooperation and exchanging ideas across different sectors