IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS) kicked off this week and will run through June 9, 2017 at the Hawai’i Convention Center. IMS, the annual flagship conference and exhibition of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S), welcomes 8000 attendees and features over 450 exhibiting companies from around the world. This year’s symposium includes participants from over 40 countries, and offers an in-depth focus on 5G and millimeter-wave technologies with many exhibitors unveiling new innovations in the field during the show.

“IMS is one of the top 200 largest trade shows in the US, and is the world’s preeminent event for MHz, GHz, and THz technologies,” said James C. Rautio, Founder and CEO, Sonnet Software and IMS Executive Committee member. “IMS is where it all starts—the industry presence on the show floor provides attendees access to a complete range of products, from design software, to components, to semiconductors, to test and measurement. The products on display enable countless new technologies that become the foundation for mainstream products and services.” 

IMS2017 happenings, innovations, and updates include:

• 5G Summit: IEEE MTT-S and IEEE ComSoc will provide a unique platform for industry leaders, innovators, and researchers from the industrial and academic community to collaborate and exchange ideas that may help in driving rapid deployment for the upcoming 5G Standard. The summit is complemented by a 5G Executive Forum and 5G Demos. Day one concluded Monday with a panel on “5G Startup Ecosystem – Network to Components.” Day two will begin Tuesday, with an overview of the IEEE 5G Initiative by Ashutosh Dutta of AT&T, the initiative co-chair, followed by a keynote from Arogyaswami Paulraj of Stanford University on “Emerging Research Tracks in Massive MIMO.” The 5G program closes with a panel on “5G Test and Measurements.”
• Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition: Monday’s 3MT® Competition was designed to stimulate interest in the wide range of applications of microwave technology to renew public interest in microwaves as a transformative technology. Competition finalists submitted papers focused on a broad range of topics, from medical to environmental applications and more.
• Technical paper presentations: IMS2017 accepted 557 papers, the second highest in IMS history. Competitions included the Advanced Practice Paper Competition, which recognizes outstanding technical contributions that apply to practical applications. The Industry Paper Competition identifies outstanding technical contributions from industry sources. Students also have an opportunity to participate in the Student Paper Competition, which identifies outstanding technical contributions. Finalists present their papers at the Student Paper Competition’s Interactive Forum in addition to their regular presentation.

For the latest updates, tune in to @MTT_IMS on Twitter for official show updates or follow the #IMS2017 search feed, inclusive of attendee and exhibitor updates.