Reflections from a Rainy Paris: Insights and Observations from EuMW2024

I watch a man open and close his umbrella in quick succession to shake the rain from the canopy and follow suit. “Much more elegant than shaking by the handle,” I note to myself. Paris had been drizzly since we arrived on Monday, which focused us more on the many, many things happening inside the convention center. This year’s European Microwave Week (EuMW) was already boasting record numbers, and the pride of the organizers was palpable and deserved.

Eravant started attending EuMW just a year ago, initially drawn to the conference more than to the exhibition. As a small-ish millimeter-wave hardware manufacturer from Los Angeles, we had relied on our channel partners to ensure we were seen by the European community. They were good proxies, but it is one thing to be seen and another to personally participate in the vibrant network of scientists, engineers, organizations, and institutes.

At the exhibition, I am pleasantly surprised by our customers’ ability to find us despite our cozy footprint between two partners. “May I take one?” patrons ask, pointing to the yellow-tipped 4-40 waveguide screwdrivers we give away at shows, and then, “Can you show me your harmonic mixers in D-Band?” I click through some spec sheets and ask them to wait to speak with Yonghui. We didn’t think we could fit another body inside of our tiny 12 square meter booth, so he’s graciously (and enthusiastically!) on duty as our on-site application engineer. I keep patient customers company with conversation about their roles, projects, and projections. It is through these discussions that I settle on a few observations from the week:

Geopolitics were on full display at EuMW with lots of attention on the effects of U.S.-China relations in the region. The challenge of navigating U.S. export regulations, combined with China's preference for non-U.S. content, complicates collaboration between American and European businesses. Notably, there was a significant presence of Chinese exhibitors, signaling the EU’s importance as a target market. Meanwhile, the ongoing Ukraine conflict continues to strain European resources, and the U.S. CHIPS Act has intensified Europe’s efforts to bolster its own semiconductor industry, contributing to increasing global fragmentation in the sector. There is an air of uncertainty among attendees that rests at tolerance, not yet mounting to worry. ?

D-Band activity remains strong in the territory, with a growing eco-system of available instrumentation, devices, and advanced manufacturing technologies. Teams are equipping their labs and manufacturers are exploring the limits of CNC machining and 3D-printing. There is a continuous discussion about measurement standards, NIST-traceability, and overcoming calibration challenges at sub-terahertz. The latter drives excitement over Eravant’s proprietary Proxi-Flange. Where other territories have looked to lower frequencies for 6G or chilled investment in D-Band like what we have seen for V-Band and 5G FR2, it seems that activity in 110-170 GHz has hopes of continuing up the maturity curve and will enjoy further attention. ?

EuMW boasts a more technical exhibition experience compared with its North American counterpart. Perhaps a controversial thought, but true in our limited experience. Attendees we met at EuMW were more likely to be technical leaders within their organizations, more of a positive reflection on their companies than anything else. Sometimes they were presenting research, but often they were there to understand supplier offerings, traveling from booth by booth to see the latest technology. Contrasted with exhibitions where the balance of attendees on the floor skew toward business development, the exchanges felt more focused and substantive. ?

On the final day, the sun starts to peek out as the last exhibits are being dismantled. Traveling attendees roll their suitcases in tandem and trade upcoming weekend plans. As old and new familiar faces pass by, I say to them, “See you soon in Puerto Rico, or San Francisco, or Utrecht!” and think how wonderful it is to be part of something that brings us together like this.