IMS2018 Highlights Microwaves, Medicine and Mobility ... Over 8,400 attendees visited Philadelphia between June 10 – 15 for the IEEE MTT-S 2018 International Microwave Symposium (IMS), further cementing IMS as an essential event for the Microwave and RF industry. IMS, the annual conference and exhibition of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S), is the premier international meeting for technologists involved in all aspects of microwave theory and practice. The six-day event, held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, drew 4,500 attendees to the technical program and the exhibition featured over 625 exhibiting companies.

IMS attendees comprised RF designers, researchers, developers, and academics representing more than 50 countries including China, Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, and of course – the United States. Of the attendees at this year’s IMS, 36% were first-time attendees and 32% Young Professionals. The one-day 5G Summit featuring speakers from Facebook, AT&T, Huawei, General Motors, and other companies leading the 5G developments, drew increased attendance by 35% over IMS2017 confirming that 5G remains a main focus for the RF and Microwave industry, and attendees flock to IMS to learn the latest 5G developments.

“IMS continues to expand its footprint across new technologies, industries, and applications, such as 5G, IoT, and medical technology – as the distinction between RF and digital continues to blur and merge” said Sridhar Kanamaluru, IMS2018 General Chair. “IMS attracts companies and speakers at the forefront of ideas, materials, software and equipment around engineering technology. This is why IMS is the number one trade-show in the microwave and RF industry and is rapidly becoming known as a must-attend event in the broader technology sector.”

Building on the conference theme of “Microwaves, Medicine and Mobility”, Dr. Stephen Klasko, MD, MBA, President and CEO, Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health kicked off IMS with a talk entitled “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Healthcare Galaxy: The Actions That Changed the Healthcare Landscape in America from 2017-2027”. The talk demonstrated actionable strategies through an innovative “history of the future” thought experiment, a strategic planning process that has led to Dr Klasko’s organization rapidly becoming one of the fastest growing academic medical centers in the nation, and one that is more optimistic about its future than at any time in its almost two-hundred-year history. IMS2018, for the first time, highlighted the collaboration of physicians and engineers, and the contribution of technology to medicine with a panel session on the Utilization of RF/Microwaves in Medicine. The show wrapped with a joint Session with the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave BioMedical Conference (IMBioC) featuring Dr. Nader Engheta discussing “Extreme Platforms for Extreme Functionality” highlighting nanoscience, nanotechnology, and materials science; followed by a talk by Dr. Nicholas Ruggerio, entitled “Renal Denervation for Uncontrolled Hypertension”.

IMS continues to innovate its exhibition and technical content to address the changing needs of the RF and Microwave industry, by organizing a Career Counseling Fair for Students where the industry partners provide advice and pathways to the industry; and by providing website and mobile app platforms for our exhibitors to reach their core audience through targeted messaging. These innovations provide greater access for the entire industry to collaborate, as a community, within the common and familiar setting of the IMS.