SENSOR+TEST 2011: Innovation Dialogue in Best Mood

This year’s SENSOR+TEST (Germany) has once again clearly demonstrated its position as the leading trade fair for sensing, measuring, and testing technology. A total of 577 exhibitors – up 13% from the previous year – presented their latest products and developments on an area of 19,000 square metres. Approximately 8,000 visitors – up 10% – made use of the occasion to participate in an intensive “Innovation Dialogue” with the suppliers during the three days of the fair.

In view of the continued upward trends, Holger Bödeker, Managing Director of AMA Service, the organisers, seemed pleased indeed on this third and last day, stating, “We’re happy with the figures of this fair, which clearly exceed those for last year. But what’s more important: Our exhibitors are very happy with how the fair went.”

The good mood all around among the exhibitors was summed up by Peter Scholz, CEO of ADDITIVE GmbH: “This year’s SENSOR+TEST gives us the feeling as if there had never been a crisis at all.” And Dr. Heinrich Steger, Director of Strategic Product Marketing at Polytec GmbH, adds, “We’re very happy with how the SENSOR+TEST went. The fair gives us an excellent opportunity to meet new users from all kinds of industries and areas of application. Compared to 2010, the number of contacts has increased considerably.”

The parallel scientific conferences, SENSOR, OPTO, and IRS², were well attended with a total of 809 participants. The technical talks held by exhibitors in the open forums met with great interest among the visitors. Especially this year’s focal topic, “easy to use”, was the hub for user-friendly solutions.

The SENSOR Innovation Award, endowed by the AMA Association for Sensor Technology with 10,000 euros, went equally to two contenders: for “HoloTop and HoloFlash, 3D Sensors with Multi-Wavelength Holography,” a joint development of the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measuring Technology, Breitmeier Messtechnik GmbH, and ASENTICS GmbH; as well as for the “Innovative Magnetic Plant-Based ZIM Pressure Probe”, developed by ZIM Plant Technology GmbH.

The next SENSOR+TEST is to be held from 22 to 24 May 2012 at the same venue, the Nürnberg Exhibition Centre. Two first-rate conferences will complement the trade fair: the 16th GMA/ITG “Sensors and Measuring Systems” as well as the 14th International Meeting on Chemical Sensors (IMCS) – the first IMCS in Germany.