Visionary technologies in fully booked halls: On September 25 and 26, 2024, Jena will once again be the meeting place for experts from the future-oriented sectors of photonics, electronics and mechanics. This year, there will be 50 more exhibitors in the Sparkassen-Arena than at the premiere in 2023.
Jena, September 4, 2024 Whether medical technology, automotive, aerospace or mechanical and plant engineering: technological innovations are a prerequisite for future viability. The W3+ Fair (w3-fair.com), which opens its doors for the second time in Jena, Thuringia, on September 25 + 26, 2024, aims to pave the way for them. With more than 50 new exhibitors and two fully booked halls, the trade fair for photonics, optics, electronics and mechanics is continuing its success story and consolidating its position as the leading event for innovation in Central Germany. Big names such as Zeiss, Jenoptik and Schott will be represented, as will numerous smaller companies. The organizers – the Hamburg trade fair and congress organizer Fleet Events together with OptoNet e.V. from Jena – are expecting more than 2,000 visitors to come to the city on the Saale, which is the center of the Thuringian photonics industry with 113 companies and almost 10,000 employees.
Great interest from Germany and beyond
“We have created real added value for Central Germany with this trade fair,” says Nora Kirsten, Managing Director of the industry association OptoNet e.V., which currently represents 120 companies, educational and research institutions. “The W3+ Fair in Jena is the new meeting place for visionary technologists. Here we can join forces and position ourselves well for the national and international market.”
Thuringian photonics companies already have a strong international focus: 72% of their turnover was generated abroad in 2022. This means that their export ratio is almost twice as high as that of Thuringia’s industry as a whole (37%).
To no wonder that the W3+ Fair is also attracting great national and international interest. With the European Photonics Network EPIC, not only is a leading global industry association a gold partner of the event, but exhibitors from 11 countries have also signed up, including companies from Switzerland, the Netherlands, Lithuania and the USA.
With more than 200 exhibitors and partners, this year’s trade fair will be larger and more diverse than last year. The joint Thuringian stand will be occupied by 25 exhibitors. They will be presenting a wide range of products, from components and assemblies to equipment and services. Nucleus – a joint initiative of the Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences Jena and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena – will be presenting the latest results of university research in the Campus Area.
Diverse program with market trends, microtechnology and fibre sensors
A highlight of the trade fair is the free accompanying conference “en-tech.talks”, which takes place parallel to the exhibition and guarantees up-to-date knowledge transfer across industry boundaries. Renowned speakers from companies such as Trumpf, Infineon and Fisba as well as representatives from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Ernst Abbe University and other experts will share their knowledge on topics such as “High-tech from Central Germany”, “Quantum Future”, “Laser Fusion / PriFusio Funding Project”, “Photonics meet Microtechnology” and “Precision Manufacturing Technologies”.
Diverse program with market trends, microtechnology and fibre sensors
A highlight of the trade fair is the free accompanying conference “en-tech.talks”, which takes place parallel to the exhibition and guarantees up-to-date knowledge transfer across industry boundaries. Renowned speakers from companies such as Trumpf, Infineon and Fisba as well as representatives from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Ernst Abbe University and other experts will share their knowledge on topics such as “High-tech from Central Germany”, “Quantum Future”, “Laser Fusion / PriFusio Funding Project”, “Photonics meet Microtechnology” and “Precision Manufacturing Technologies”.
As part of EPIC TechWatch, selected members of the European photonics consortium will formulate their needs from a user perspective. The trade visitors will also exchange information on technology and market trends – an important prerequisite for the development of future-proof solutions.
As photonic sensors have become an integral part of everyday life and photonics is a key technology for digitalization, the German Microtechnology Network IVAM is also seeking proximity to the experts gathered in Jena and is organizing its own lecture block as part of the accompanying conference.
The QUANTIFISENS regional alliance of industry and research is pursuing a novel approach to solving complex sensory customer problems. It combines optical fibers with innovative measurement technology and self-learning software. At the W3+ Fair, the alliance, which is aiming for a long-term sustainable innovation leap in fiber sensor technology, will hold a specialist group meeting.
The trade fair also provides the perfect setting for the new buyer contact exchange, which is being launched by the Thuringian Ministry of Economics, Science and Digital Society, LEG Thüringen, OptoNet e.V. and Fakt Kommunikation. Buyers from Thuringia have the opportunity to present their purchasing requirements and make contact with interested suppliers.
Regional support from politics, science and business
The W3+ Fair is supported by numerous trade associations and regional partners, above all the gold partners OptoNet e.V. from Jena and EPIC. The Thuringian Cluster Management of the State Development Corporation of Thuringia, the Tridelta Campus Hermsdorf, the medical technology and biotechnology industry association “medways”, the Thuringian Center for Mechanical Engineering (ThZM) and the Association of Thuringian Chambers of Industry and Commerce also contribute to the success of the trade fair as strong partners.
Looking back on a successful premiere
With the first W3+ Fair Jena in November 2023, the trade fair came to the cradle of the optical industry and hit the high-tech nerve of Thuringia. More than 160 exhibitors, partners and speakers welcomed around 2,000 trade visitors as well as political representatives such as Thuringia’s Minister President Bodo Ramelow. The trade fair offered the latest cutting-edge technologies, enthusiastic participants and inspiring encounters.
Further information about the trade fair and registration can be found on our website: www.w3-fair.com/jena/
About the W3+ Fair
The event is the result of an industry initiative in Wetzlar and Central Hesse that aims to promote networking between the four sectors of optics, photonics, electronics and mechanics. The aim is to launch pioneering technologies through new interfaces. The trade fair took place for the first time in Wetzlar in February 2014. The W3+ Fair is organized by the Hamburg-based trade fair organizer Fleet Events (fleet-events.de). In 2023, the organizer has expanded its portfolio to include the W3+ Fair Jena. Together with EPIC and IVAM, the W3+ Fair team has also been organizing a joint stand at the new APE Asian Photonics Expo in Singapore since 2024.