MEMS, the Cornerstone of Intelligent Connected Devices: Key Theme at MEMS Executive Congress US 2012

MEMS Suppliers and OEMs explore trends, technologies and market influences at MEMS Industry Group’s flagship business conference

MEMS Industry Group (MIG), a global industry organization with more than 150 member-companies and partners, wrapped up another successful MEMS Executive Congress® US 2012, November 7-8, 2012 in Scottsdale, AZ. Fueled by double-digit growth rates and with an overall market estimated to reach US $12.5B by 2016 ¹ , the micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) industry is realizing explosive growth in consumer electronics and mobile handsets, is strongly resurgent in automotive, and is emerging as a core enabling technology in biomedical/quality of life and diverse industrial applications, including energy and transportation. A record number of attendees at MIG’s eighth annual executive conference and networking event were treated to an inside look at what’s propelling the MEMS market, and MEMS-enabled devices, forward.

“We are seeing a massive proliferation of MEMS devices across a broad range of applications: from mobile handsets, tablets and pico projectors, to health/medical monitors, automotive safety systems, the smart grid, gaming, and robotics,” said Karen Lightman, managing director, MEMS Industry Group. “This combination of rapid growth and demand for smaller, lower-power MEMS has created challenges that our industry is solving. ‘Sensor fusion’ is easing the integration of MEMS in heterogeneous systems. MEMS suppliers are making lower-power devices and are packaging MEMS in IMUs that conserve board space. And the industry is coming together to address the critical issue of MEMS standardization. At MEMS Executive Congress, we dove collectively into these and other pressing issues.”

Opening Keynote Speaker Ajith Amerasekera, director, product acceleration, High Performance Analog Business, Texas Instruments, described the criticality of power to perpetual and seamless connectivity. “As a technology that supports ubiquitous intelligence, MEMS is helping to drive advances in electronic devices. At the same time, we must consider the demands of pervasive, connected electronic applications, in terms of energy generation and management. The MEMS industry, and the larger ecosystem of which it is a part, must rise to the challenges of integrated low-power sensor technology, smaller form-factor battery and storage technology, and true energy harvesting in order to sustain what will one day be trillions of connected devices.”

Closing Keynote Speaker Robert Brunner, founder, creative director and partner, Ammunition—the innovation firm behind products from Apple, Barnes & Noble, Beats by Dr. Dre, Adobe and Lark—offered MEMS Executive Congress attendees his inclusive philosophy of product design. “Everybody in this room is a designer,” said Brunner. “Great design is developed around a vision that manifests itself in something that people find not only useful, but desirable.” Brunner further hit a chord with the audience when he stated that “while technology enables, it is design that establishes.”

MEMS TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE

MIG’s second MEMS Technology Showcase® was yet again a highlight of the conference. Moderated by Shawn G. DuBravac, chief economist and senior director of research, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), MEMS Technology Showcase inspired attendees to vote for their favorite MEMS-enabled product in the competition. This year’s winner, Sphero by Orbotix, is the first robotic-ball gaming device controlled with a tilt, touch or swing from a smartphone or tablet.

ABOUT MEMS EXECUTIVE CONGRESS

Now in its eighth year, MEMS Executive Congress is an annual event that brings together business leaders from a broad spectrum of industries: automotive, consumer goods, energy/environmental, industrial, medical and telecom. It is a unique professional forum at which executives from companies designing and manufacturing MEMS technology sit side-by-side with their end-user customers in panel discussions and networking events to exchange ideas and information about the use of MEMS in commercial applications.

Premier sponsors of MEMS Executive Congress 2012 include: Platinum Sponsor EV Group; Gold Sponsors Applied Materials and SPTS Technologies; and Silver Sponsors Analog Devices, Freescale Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics and SUSS MicroTec.

Event sponsors include: ACUTRONIC, Akustica, A.M. Fitzgerald & Associates, Bosch Automotive Electronics, Bosch Sensortec, Coventor, Fries Research & Technology (FRT), Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA), IHS iSuppli, imec, IntelliSense, Kionix, Maxim Integrated, MEMS Journal, MEMS and Nanotechnology Exchange, MIPI Alliance, Movea, OEM Group, Oxford Instruments, Plan Optik, Silex Microsystems, Solid State Technology, Teledyne DALSA, Tronics, X-FAB MEMS Foundry and Yole Développement.

MEMS Executive Congress US 2012 was held November 7-8, 2012 at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, Scottsdale, AZ.

UPCOMING: MEMS EXECUTIVE CONGRESS EUROPE

MIG will host its second MEMS Executive Congress Europe on March 12, 2013 at the Steigenberger Airport Hotel Amsterdam, The Netherlands. MEMS Executive Congress Europe 2013 will be co-located with Smart Systems Integration 2013.
For more information, please contact MIG via phone: 412/390-1644, email: info[at]memsindustrygroup.org or visit MEMS Executive Congress at: www.memscongress.com.

ABOUT MEMS INDUSTRY GROUP

MEMS Industry Group (MIG) is the trade association advancing MEMS across global markets. More than 150 companies comprise MIG, including Analog Devices, Applied Materials, Bosch, Freescale Semiconductor, GE, Honeywell, HP, Intel, InvenSense, Murata Electronics Oy, OMRON Electronic Components, Qualcomm, STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments. For more information, visit: www.memsindustrygroup.org.

MEMS Industry Group, MEMS Executive Congress, MEMS Technology Showcase and the MEMS Industry Group logo are registered trademarks of MEMS Industry Group. All other product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

PRESS CONTACTS

Karen Lightman, MEMS Industry Group
Phone: +1 412/390-1644
Email: klightman[at]memsindustrygroup.org

Maria Vetrano
Phone: +617/876.2770
Email: maria[at]Vetrano.com