The first ST Industrial Summit took place on May 29, in Shenzhen, China, and it was so rewarding to see 1,000 participants gather around more than 100 demos, attend about 40 in-depth technical sessions. The summit revolved around three “trees”:Â motor control, power and energy, and automation to bring startups, enterprises, enthusiasts, partners, and industry associations together in a personal and concrete way. More than the exposition of our solutions and products, the Industrial Summit showed that we are seeking a close relationship with ecosystem builders in this region. We have five Competence Centers dedicated to the Asian markets, one of them in Shenzhen targeting solutions for home appliances and industrial applications, and the Summit enabled the public to have a close interaction with ST and the technologies that are shaping the industry at large.
Personal Interactions with ST at the Industrial Summit
An insightful panel discussion enlightened attendees in the morning, right after an introductory address by Jerome Roux, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Asia Pacific Region, and keynote speeches by Marco Cassis, ST’s President of Sales, Marketing, Communication, and Strategy Development, and Benedetto Vigna, President of the Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group. The audience received answers directly from our leaders and experts, making this event more meaningful and relevant. These sessions highlighted key trends and how ST is answering the new challenges that decision makers and engineers face, such as the rise of smart sensors, the increasing importance of low-power wireless protocols, or how to drive Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) devices, among others. At the end of the day, we even had a lucky draw to finish on a light and high note.
We organized hands-on time with our products and software, alongside the watchful eye of ST engineers, on BLDC and factory automation, among others. There were sessions on BLDC and factory automation. We also offered a practical lab on X-CUBE-MCSDK, our new motor control Software Development Kit that is foundational in motor control designs as it ensures developers can quickly create FOC applications, among other things. We also had a workshop on our ACEPACK power modules which can drive industrial motors, solar panels, welding tools, power management solutions, and more. It was thus fascinating to see how some of the engineers from one company could attend our motor control class while the others participated in the ACEPACK workshops before bringing back what they learned to create a more innovative and robust product. It’s a great example of the synergies that form a product that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
Personal Interactions with Industrial Technologies
Demos showcasing the three segment focus of Motor Control, Power and Energy, and Automation were also a big part of the Industrial Summit because they enabled attendees to get up close and personal with the technologies that are redefining the industry. For instance, our smart lighting solution uses an STM32F3 to automatically switch to a constant-current AC-DC LED driver when the battery is low to prevent any interruptions. We also showcased a 650 V / 1200 V SiC MOSFET to better explain the types of applications that can greatly benefit from the properties that flow from its wide bandgap. There was also a smart home that focused, in part, on how USB Power Delivery (PD) and the new Type-C connectors could make consumers products more reliable and efficient.
ST created many of these demos to be the highlight of international trade shows and world-class conferences, such as Embedded World or CES, among many others. Bringing them to the participants of the Industrial Summit was thus imperative because we realize that not every engineer can attend these events. At the heart of this event in Shenzhen was the desire to bring these innovations to more creators and decision-makers so they can carry what they saw and experienced back to their design labs, enabling them to come up with truly innovative products. In case you missed the event, you can check out our official photos. The Industrial Summit album continues to be really popular with more 325,000 unique visitors at the moment.
