MEET 2017 Comes To A Successful Conclusion

MEET 2017, the IDS (www.idscorporation.com) organized Meeting on Electromagnetic Engineering Technology, came to a successful conclusion in Rome on Wednesday 28^th September. The 2-day conference achieved its aim of bringing together leading members of the worldwide electromagnetic engineering community, from industry, academia and research institutes, and from government institutions and the military, and allowing them to share their experiences and ideas and to create new connections. With over 150 attendees from countries from all around the world, including USA, China, Germany, India, UK and Belgium, MEET 2017 surpassed the previous year’s event in attendance.

The opening day saw a round table on “How EM technologies boost today’s world…”, with representatives from IDS, ONERA, INGV, Electro Magnetic Applications Inc. (EMA) and Siemens PLM Software on the panel. Among the topics discussed was the progress that is being made towards the use of simulation in the realm of electromagnetic testing and certification. Although the technology is not yet as mature as similar technologies used in other engineering disciplines (structural/mechanical/aerodynamic/thermodynamic), projects such as EPICEA (http://epicea-env714.eu), which has received funding by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and involves companies and establishments such as ONERA and Bombardier alongside IDS, are working towards the validation of tools that will enable a reduction and eventual elimination of the need to use expensive and time consuming physical measurement.

The rest of the day included a number of keynote speeches on subjects such as “Realizing the Digital Twin” and “Advanced Electromagnetics for the Internet of Things and Short-Range Communications”, as well as a visit to the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art before a Gala Dinner at the Caffè Delle Arti next door.

Day 2 of the conference was divided into 3 parallel sessions, each of which contained presentations and case studies on a wide range of topics such as the Advances and Trends in EM Modeling Methods, Antennas, E3 and EM Spectrum Operations, radar applications, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0. The day ended with a second Round Table on the subject of “Aerospace and Defense EM Technologies”.

Highlights of the event included the official announcement of the creation of a partnership between IDS and Siemens PLM Software (www.plm.automation.siemens.com), part of Siemens AG, which will see the two companies working together in areas such as the use of digital twins in the development of ADAS (Autonomous Driving Assistance Systems) in autonomous/driverless cars. There was also the award by the Franco Bardelli Foundation (www.fondazionebardelli.org) of the prestigious "Franco Bardelli Award" to Prof. Giuseppe Vecchi of the Polytechnic of Turin and Giorgio Giordanengo PhD.

IDS would like to give thanks to Casa Dell’Aviatore in Rome for hosting the event and we would also like to thank the event’s Sponsors:

Siemens, Electro Magnetic Applications, Inc., Nfotec Digital Engineering, Eurotech, Pasquali Microwave Systems, Microlease, Bentley, TT Tecnosistemi, Microelit and Bercella

And the event’s Patrons:

Stato Maggiore della Difesa (Defence General Staff of Italy), ENAC, ENAV, Regione Lazio, Agenzia Industrie Difesa, AIDAA, DITECFER and NAFEMS Italia.