Last month, FILPAL went on a trip to the US to join the IEEE MTT-S international Microwave Symposium (IMS) 2023. Organized yearly by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), IMS has been held annually and has become the premier conference for the microwave community worldwide.
History of IMS
The symposium provides a platform for researchers, engineers, and industry professionals to exchange knowledge, present their latest findings and discuss advancements in microwave theory, technology and applications in various industries such as telecommunications, aerospace, defense, healthcare and more.
One of the key highlight of IMS is the trade exhibition which features RF/Microwave companies all across the world exhibiting on their latest technological innovations, services and ideas. Many a companies take the opportunity to showcase or even premier their latest product.
However, due to COVID restrictions, IMS 2020 and 2021 was done in the virtual format with physical format resuming in 2022 in Denver, USA.
IMS 2023
This year, IMS 2023 was held in San Diego, California, United States, from 11–16 June 2023, with around 550 companies from the field of RF/Microwave participating in it. The themes this year highlighted popular interest of some RF/Microwave engineering areas such as
● Wireless Communications, including 6G developments, Wi-Fi, RF and microwave system-on-chip integration, massive MIMO systems and subsystems, and more
● Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) Technologies for Microwaves
● Model-Based Systems Engineering, including Digital Twins
● Space and Aerospace
● Wireless Power Transfer
● RF and Microwave Technology in Biomedical Applications
Each theme features focused technical sessions, workshops, keynote speakers, panel session, technical lectures and much more.
The Arrival
It was an exciting opportunity to be able to be part of the FILPAL team in this year’s IMS. As the only company from South East Asia presenting in IMS, we have to travel earlier from Malaysia to San Diego, transiting in Japan and San Francisco on the way.
We reached in time for the Industry Showcase session on the 12th of June, where FILPAL is given the opportunity to present on a paper written by our CEO and chief hardware engineer titled “A New Class of Inline Microwave Filter with Transmission Zeros”. The paper pique the interest of many big names in the RF industry such as IEEE fellows Keli-Wu and Macchiarella, who engaged in long discussion with our presenters to understand the novel theory behind the paper.
Additionally, this was also the first time Aiora was presented, and it was really exciting to see the good response that we got. With so many experts in the field converging in one location, it was a true eye-opener to be able to hear the technical questions they ask, their insights and their knowledge. It makes their appreciation of our product even more meaningful!
The Exhibition
From the 13th-15th June, this was the main highlight of our trip, the trade exhibition. It was the first time FILPAL had attended IMS as an exhibitor, and it was a privilege for me to be one of the exhibitors this year. During these 3 days, we presented our offerings to those who dropped by.
As the only South East Asia company in IMS, we are also the only company that is offering a full RF turnkey solutions to our customers. I took time connecting with the many visitors that stopped by, exchanging contacts and understanding their needs and concerns. I found out that this RF turnkey solution we offering hits home to many of our visitors in the current geopolitical landscape.
Aside from the turnkey solution offering, we continue to showcase Aiora, to the interest of those who dropped by. It was exciting to see the level of interest by the visitors on Aiora, some even taking extended hours just to sit down and understand its capabilities as my colleague present them with a demonstration of Aiora.
It was definitely the first time that I’m able to host people in an exhibition. What amazes me was the amount of visitors that came over from recommendations of big names such as Dassault CST, Mician and many others. Perhaps these are sign that what we are doing here are truly valuable in the RF industry.
Making Friends
Aside from the many business opportunities that may come from IMS 2023, I also truly appreciate the opportunities to meet a lot of veterans in the industry. I value the chance to connect, socialize and hear their stories.
One example is the US HuaWei Senior Director, Danny Hua. A humble man, I first met him when he visited our table during the Industry Showcase. On the 13th June 2023, while attending the HAM Radio Social Night, held in The Pointe, Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel and organized by IMS 2023, we coincide once again with each other! This time, I had the opportunity to hear stories from his days in the industry. From topics like how to navigate crisis in the companies to hearing stories of balancing between being a family man and a corporate figure, it suddenly dawns on me that these figures are real people with real families. And many of the challenges that we face in pioneering FILPAL is not foreign to seasoned veterans like Mr. Danny.
It was also a great opportunities to meet people like Dr. Richard J. Cameron, the recipient of the Microwave Pioneer Award 2023 and Professor Ian C. Hunter, the supervisor of our CEO, Dr. Wong Peng Wen during his studying years in the University of Leeds, United Kingdom. It was surreal to be able to get to know them in person when in the past I had only read many of their works, textbooks and articles as part of my higher education studies.
Looking Forward
The entire IMS 2023 journey was a very fulfilling one. Although tiring and ridden with jet lags, it was nevertheless inspiring and motivating for me to pursue greater heights in our endeavors. I come back encouraged to pursue excellence, and determined to bring to fruition all the potential business opportunities, and to stay in contact with all the connections we made in the symposium.
Our direction assured, we, the FILPAL team look forward for the exciting months ahead, for the official release of FILPAL Aiora this year, and IMS 2024 in Washington D.C.
Originally published at http://filpal.wordpress.com on July 16, 2023.
