MEMS Executive Congress 2011 attendance grows 25 percent

PITTSBURGH, USA: Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) is in the mainstream—and it’s allowing us to interact with the world in exciting new ways. 225 attendees of MEMS Executive Congress, MEMS Industry Group’s annual executive conference held November 2-3, 2011 in Monterey, CA, set an attendance record while getting an inside look at some of today’s most innovative uses of MEMS.

From the world’s first GPS-enabled goggles and ingestible “intelligent” medicine to a handheld laser projector that plugs into iPhone and other multimedia devices, MEMS Executive Congress attendees explored “the MEMS inside the machine” during the Congress’s first-ever MEMS Technology Showcase.

“MEMS Executive Congress proved that it really is THE business conference and networking event of the MEMS industry,” said Karen Lightman, MD, MEMS Industry Group (MIG). “Global innovators from the MEMS supply chain rubbed elbows with top OEMs, investment experts, market strategists and technology press while engaging in thought-provoking discussions on hot topics such as sensor networks, consumer MEMS, and foundry models.”

Highlights of the Congress include the addition of Semico Research and Forrester Research, which brought fresh perspectives to the market analyst panel. Keynote speaker Scott Livingston, CEO, Livingston Securities, challenged the audience’s thinking on emerging technology investment models. And closing keynote speaker, Aaron Schulman, business director, Toffler Associates, shared his views on how billions of connected devices, geo-political changes and environmental shifts will impact technology, business and society.

With a rosy market outlook for consumer and mobile MEMS—IHS iSuppli predicts 22 percent CAGR through 2015—as well as significant growth in all markets, exceeding $19 billion by 2016 according to Yole Développement, the MEMS industry is meeting demand for mobile handsets, tablets/laptops, video game controllers, automotive applications (tire pressure monitoring systems, airbags, electronic stability systems) and biomedical systems (monitoring, drug-delivery, tissue and organ replacement), in ever-increasing numbers.

Lightman says: “We have scratched the surface at what MEMS can achieve. We are going to see a wider variety of mobile-device applications utilizing MEMS to full advantage. Location-awareness, augmented reality and gesture recognition are ideally suited to MEMS. Quality-of-life applications, which allow aging populations to live independently longer, will become more commonplace. Energy monitoring, control and production are maturing, and we are already seeing increased demand for automotive safety systems. Wherever you have intelligence in embedded systems, MEMS is going to be found. Or as I like to say – MEMS frickin’ everywhere!”