IFA Next 2018 shows innovation

IFA 2018 BERLIN. Virtual media worlds, living in smart cities, the future of mobility, robots in the household, voice commands, digital translators, the next generation of ultra-fast mobile networks and digital innovations for a healthier lifestyle – these are all topics that the IFA Next Innovation Engine will be featuring on two stages in Hall 26.

With five days devoted to a range of themes, the German Startup Association will be setting the tone for young entrepreneurs on every day of the show from 2 p.m. onwards.

At this year’s IFA Next the exhibition area has doubled in size. Parallel with an increase in exhibitors to around 200, the program of IFA Nexy Innovation Engine is also expanding. For the first time it will occupy two stages, with Innovation Engine Red featured in Hall 26a and Innovation Engine Blue in Hall 26c.

Programme highlights will include a presentation of Future Living Berlin, a project in the Adlershof district of southeast Berlin where an entire urban quarter is being set up as a live experiment and an installation that sets standards for interconnected living. Energy management, communications, transport, intelligent mobility – all the topics focusing on innovation from the industries that are exhibiting at IFA are concentrated here. The organisers and their project partners, including Panasonic, Digitalstrom and Schindler, an elevator specialist, will present the project. Monday, 3 Sept., 11.00 a.m., at Innovation Engine Red.

FoldiMate, a startup from California, is showing how in the future robots will be able to undertake complex tasks. Folding laundry will no longer be a manual chore people would rather avoid, because FoldiMate can do the job with digital precision. Monday, 3 Sept., 11.20 a.m. at Innovation Engine Blue

A number of organisations and platforms have made interoperability between digital devices made by different manufacturers on the internet of things their key topic. Fascinating lectures on this subject are scheduled: Mozaiq Operations on Friday, 31 Aug., 11 a.m. at Innovation Engine Blue, followed by Conrad Connect at 11.20 a.m. On Sunday, 2 Sept. at 11.30 a.m. at Innovation Engine Red the EEBUS initiative will give a presentation on this subject.

On Saturday, the focus will be on innovative products and solutions which promote a healthier lifestyle. Eight contributions will examine this topic. A presentation on Digital Security in Wi-Fi Networks will also be given by VDE. Saturday, 1 Sept. at 11.40 a.m. on both Innovation Engine stages.

Artificial intelligence has long ceased to be just a catchy phrase. Self-teaching devices are now entering people’s everyday lives. On Sunday, 2 Sept. at 12.40 p.m., a lecture by the smart home specialist Netatmo will highlight examples and the future prospects.

Voice-controlled systems are not only taking over the entire household. Using voice commands to easily trigger functions or solve issues has made its way onto vehicles as well. It even works with older cars. German Auto Labs, a startup from Berlin, is a one-stop company that supplies the necessary software, hardware and service. To find out more visit the presentations at Innovation Engine Blue on Monday, 3 Sept at 11.40 a.m. and 12:40 p.m.

5G, the next generation of ultra-fast mobile networks, will also change the media landscape, possibly in dramatic ways. An Opportunity or simply Hype? On Tuesday, 4 Sept. at 3 p.m. at Innovation Engine Red, a panel discussion with 5G experts from Deutsche TV-Plattform will debate this topic.

The mobile infrastructure is only part of the 5G revolution, the front end, so to speak. A dense fiber optic network is also needed to ensure fast data communications. On Tuesday, 4 Sept. at 1.20 p.m. at Innovation Engine Red, Dr. HwanSeok Chung from the Korean Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) will deliver an expert lecture on the subject.