One of the most significant events in the embedded systems world each year is in Europe, where embedded systems development gets a lot of attention. The Embedded World 2018 Exhibition and Conference will be held from February 27 through March 1 in Nuremberg, Germany. It is the largest event of its kind, having started in 2003, and focuses on all things embedded.
If you are in Europe or able to travel for this event, we highly recommend it, to stay up to date on the latest innovations for embedded systems design and software engineering for embedded systems.
Embedded World 2018 is quickly approaching. To save you some time — the conference website is huge — we’ve shared some conference highlights here. Check out some of these and find out why it might be worth the trip.
Key highlights of Embedded World 2018
- Embedded World 2018 will feature more than 1,000 exhibitors. Speakers from more than 42 countries will cover a broad array of embedded systems topics, from software and hardware design to operating systems.
- More than 30,000 trade visitors are expected, along with 1,700 conference participants. This is a prime opportunity to see where embedded systems design is heading and who the leaders are in the industry.
- Awards will be given out in the areas of software, hardware, and tools, with judging done by industry experts. Over the course of the three days, 67 lectures will be given. New product innovations will be presented, as will new applications of embedded systems. This is your chance to learn about new trends in the industry and what you need to do to stay competitive.
Maximize your Embedded World 2018 experience
To make sure you get the most out of Embedded World 2018, here are some of the main features of the event. Use this list to plan your trip in advance so you can get the most out of the conference.
Special Areas Displays
There are three special areas being set up at Embedded World 2018, featuring innovations in three specific areas. These are all very interesting to us, and to our clients:
- We do a lot of work in human-machine interfaces for embedded systems; an area that is often overlooked. So display technologies are very interesting to us. The Electronic Displays Area will feature new display technologies in such areas as 3D and flexible displays, as well as human-machine interfaces. A full list of exhibitors in this area is available here.
- As isolated devices give over to networks of cooperating nodes (and the Internet of Things), data communications has become hugely important. The M2M Area is where you can learn about new developments in the machine-to-machine sector. With the M2M market expected to be worth more than $27 billion by 2023, this is an area you cannot afford to ignore. A full list of exhibitors in the M2M Area is available here.
- We spend a lot of time working with (and educating) our clients on the security issues surrounding embedded systems – the more things you have connected to your business, the more you are exposed to risks. The Safety & Security Area will show you how to protect your embedded systems against attack. The growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) has made safety and security higher priorities for embedded systems design, so make sure you spend some time evaluating the exhibitors in this section.
Conference and Keynotes
Conferences at Embedded World 2018 will run throughout each day. Each conference covers a specific topic, but can be broken down into the following main categories to help you plan your days:
- IoT
- Embedded Vision
- Autonomous Systems
- Embedded OS
- Safety & Security
- Hardware Engineering
- Software & Systems Engineering
We love hearing from leaders and experts in the industry, to get a taste of how others see this world evolving. A keynote speaker will be featured on the first two days of the conference:
- On Tuesday, February 27th, the keynote speaking is Mark Papermaster from AMD, talking about “Evolving Embedded Systems in a Self-directed World.” The discussion will focus on how to take artificial intelligence (AI) to the next level with self-directed intelligent systems.
- On Wednesday, February 28th, Andrea Martin from IBM will cover the topic “Industry Solutions with the Internet of Things.” This discussion will cover how IoT is changing the industry and how to leverage IoT to take your embedded systems to the next level.
Other Features
There are a few other offerings at Embedded World to make note of:
- We devote a lot of energy to support the development of future generations of embedded engineers, including sponsoring high school robotics teams. So we are particularly appreciative of Student Day, which is the final day of the conference. There will be over 1,000 engineering students in attendance. Embedded engineers are a unique breed with a very specific skill set. Interacting with such a large number of up-and-coming students is something you would be wise to take advantage of while at Embedded World. If you need tips on how to shop for an embedded engineer, check out our recent post on the topic.
- We mentioned the importance of security to embedded systems design. For the third year in a row, the “Safe for the Future” panel will focus on embedded systems security, specifically as it relates to IoT. Each year this panel has covered critical issues that we’ve taken back and implemented in our work; we expect this year’s panel to do the same.
We are doing more and more work in the Internet of Things, and so it’s interesting (but not surprising) to note the increased attention given to IoT this year. The topic has a whole section of conferences devoted to it, and IoT is the focal point of one of the keynotes. The Safe for the Future panel also focuses on security as it relates to IoT. Given the explosion of IoT devices, we expect this focus to remain and even grow over the coming years.
Embedded World 2018 is your chance to see the latest innovations in embedded systems design, speak with innovators in the field, establish new contacts, and recruit new employees to build out your team of embedded software engineers. For those who plan to attend, be sure to download the Embedded World app to access the floor plan, add conferences and speakers to your calendar, and stay up to date on the latest list of exhibitors.
