Over years, NEPCON JAPAN has been gaining popularity under the organization of Reed Exhibitions Japan. There are 2,480 exhibitors from 34 countries at 2018’s show, with a 10% increase compared with the number in 2017, according to Yuhi Maezono, Show Director of Reed Exhibitions Japan. “The show will keep upscaling for 2019,” said Maezono.

Yuhi Maezono, Show Director of Reed Exhibitions Japan (Image: LEDinside)

From Components to End Applications, Reed Exhibitions Got Them All

Exhibits at NEPCON JAPAN are mainly electronics components and manufacturing materials, while the other four concurrent shows—WEARABLE EXPO, AUTOMOTIVE WORLD, RoboDEX, and SMART FACTORY Expo—are themed around end applications and thus complementary to the main show. That also represents the technology integration between different industries. When the age of smart, electric, and autonomous vehicles is coming, the automobile industry is not the only one that evolves. Automotive electronics manufacturers also benefit from the trends. A lot of power supply modules for cars, automotive ICs, ADAS, LiDAR, sensors, and displays can be seen at NEPCON JAPAN. Likewise, plenty of automotive LED products are on display at the lighting show. Relations between the industries have become close and obvious.  

Sumitomo Bakelite launched automotive components for advanced driver assistant systems. (Image: LEDinside)

Smart car technology—LiDAR (Image: LEDinside)

Qualcomm showcased wireless charging device Halo expected to be put to use this year. (Image: LEDinside)

In addition, attendees from different industries are more likely to form all sorts of business partnerships and learn new technologies and market information. This is what the organizer seeks to bring to whoever comes to the exhibition.

Apart from Japanese companies, 439 overseas exhibitors take active participation in the show as well. Every year, Reed Exhibition Japan invites industry heavyweights from China, Korea, and Taiwan and welcomes them to join the event with special conferences. In 2018, the organizer also invites experts and business executives from Europe and the United States.

Grow with the Trend: New Autonomous Driving and Service Robot Sections Added to the Show

The show is scaling up and the themes get more diverse. In particular, a new autonomous driving section is added to AUTOMOTIVE WORLD 2018. New as it is, the section still attracted 100 exhibitors. Reed Exhibitions Japan stressed that autonomous driving will still be a highlight of the show in 2019 and it expects the section to be twice as big as it is this year.  

In Japan, automakers Nissan and Toyota hold advanced manufacturing technologies and have their own supply chains. For multinational automotive companies that are looking for OEMs, Japan is definitely on their list.

The other highlight worth mentioning is the new service robot section at RoboDEX. Instead of focusing on industrial robots, the show use service robots to draw the attention to Japan’s aging population and low birth rate. The demand for service robots is expected to rise and the section will also be expanded next year.

Maezono revealed that a new smart logistics section will also be added to SMART FACTORY Expo next year.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is also a focus of the show due to its relation with autonomous vehicle and smart factory technologies even though it was not singled out as a concurrent show. A number of AI conferences at the show will lead discussions on AI in different applications.

NEPCON JAPAN to Zero in Industrial Heartland in September

NEPCON JAPAN 2018 will be held again in Nagoya after Tokyo in September. The selling of 500 exhibit booths has been going well. Maezono explained that major factories, including Toyota, DENSO and Mitsubishi, are situated in an industrial heartland close to Nagoya in the mid area of Japan and it would be more convenient for exhibitors to market their products and exchange know-hows with other firms. The main show and three concurrent shows regarding automotive technology, AI, and smart factory will open again in Nagoya and automotive technology will be the major highlight.

The selling of 500 exhibit booths for NEPCON JAPAN in Nagoya has been going very well. (Image: LEDinside)

Some companies already registered with NEPCON JAPAN 2019, which will continue to scale up. (Image: LEDinside)