Dec 02, 2013 
After four days, the outcome of the 20th productronica was very positive: About 38,000 visitors from 83 countries participated in the international trade fair for innovative electronics production in Munich. Compared to 2011, there was another sharp increase in the number of visitors from abroad – especially from non-EU countries. Above all, there were large increases in the number of visitors from the Russian Federation, China and Turkey. Overall, the share of international visitors increased from 48 percent to 52 percent. Among other things, the quality of the trade visitors was reflected by concrete business transactions.
Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer, Managing Director of Messe München, was very positive about the fair's results: "The large increase in the share of international exhibitors and visitors underscores productronica's position as the number one industry gathering in the world."
As far as other European countries are concerned, the number of visitors from France, Spain and Romania increased considerably. Besides Germany, the countries with the largest number of visitors were (in this order): Italy, Austria, Switzerland and the Russian Federation.
As a representative of productronica's exhibitors, Rainer Kurtz, Chairman of the productronica Technical Advisory Board, Managing Partner at kurtz ersa, and Chairman of the VDMA (German Engineering Federation) Productronic, feels that the fair is sending positive signals for the industry: "It feels as if the industry is on the verge of an upswing. Spontaneous visits from customers confirm the positive forecasts for the industry in 2014. This year's productronica is impres-sive because of the considerable increase in the share of international partici-pants and the large number of business transactions at the fair." Michael Brianda, President of DEK in Switzerland, agrees: "All key players are represented, but even more important is the fact that they are taking time for concrete business transactions." This was also confirmed by an independent survey of visitors conducted by TNS Infrastest: 69 of the visitors who intended to make concrete investments, gave the fair a rating of good to excellent for being able to reach that objective.
With regard to export rates among Germany's electronics production companies, which lie between 80 and 99 percent, depending on the branch of industry, Dr. Eric Maiser, Managing Director of the VDMA Productronic, said, "A high level of internationality is very significant for our industry. This year we have noticed a sizeable increase in international participants at the fair, which is why - from a global perspective - productronica is the most important industry gathering for us." 90 percent of the exhibitors surveyed by TNS Infratest gave the fair a rating of good to excellent for the quality and the large share of international visitors.
Christoph Stoppok, Director of the Components Mobility & Systems Division of the ZVEI (German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association), feels that the fair has confirmed the association's market forecasts: "Growth forecasts for 2014 of a good three percent in Europe and approximately 3.5 percent in North America are also reflected by the number of participants at productronica – one could definitely say that the USA is making a comeback." Stoppok's comments continue on a positive note: "As far as the PCB and EMS sectors are concerned, the Marketplace in Hall B1 has become an important industry gath-ering for this international audience."
A total of 1,220 companies from 39 countries (2011: 1,189 companies from 39 countries) presented their innovations and solutions on 41,242 square meters (net) of exhibition space. At 14 percent, the share of international exhibitors was up considerably. There were also nine international joint exhibits at this year's fair: Besides France, Great Britain, Japan, Austria and Hungary, for the first time ever Estonia, Morocco, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic were also represented.
The next productronica takes place in Munich from November 10 - 13, 2015. It will be the fair's 40-year anniversary.
Additional exhibitor statements are available online at productronica.com/en/home/journalists/press-releases.
Video podcasts on the topics of "Industry 4.0", "Automotive electronics and a tour of the fair" and "Coilware and its significance in the energy turnaround" and a special birthday song for productronica's 20th birthday are available at www.youtube.com/productronica.
An extensive collection of photographic material is available in the productronica media database: productronica.com/en/home/journalists/videos-photos
