Nuremberg and chips
1 min read
The electronics’ industry’s eyes were always going to be focused on the success of this year’s Embedded World exhibition in Nuremberg.
Surely, in the current climate, success was not an option.
Not so.
Speaking with exhibitors, the general consensus was that while visitors’ numbers had dwindled from last year, it was quality and not quantity that mattered, with orders being made by key decision makers, first quarter figures being quoted that weren’t as bad as expected and a positive feeling throughout the halls. Diversification was the word of the show. By not limiting themselves to particular applications – notably, the automotive sector – manufacturers and distributors have no intention of letting the recession claim defeat. Yes – a number of acquisitions and ‘restructures’ had happened, resulting in high numbers of redundancies. But the necessary evil may well have paved the way for a new streamline electronics industry. When the dot com bubble burst in 2001, confidence in the industry was at an all time low. Now, it’s confidence in the banking system that has withered, leaving the electronics market with a stronger belief in itself.
