The Shape Of Things TO COME FROM JAPAN

NEPCON Japan is a good bet if you want to catch a glimpse of what's new in electronics. While NEPCON focuses on electronics manufacturing equipment, its co-located shows, which are related to electronics too, provide the holistic picture of what's hot and what's not. Rahul Chopra, Editor, Electronics For You, happened to visit the show and could not stop himself from sharing some key trends that stand out

- RAHUL CHOPRA

Automotive electronics

The expo space devoted to automotive electronics in NEPCON Japan been growing over the years. I remember seeing it occupy a fraction of a hall a few years ago. Now, automotive electronics was spread across three halls!

Electric vehicles (EVS) and hybrids are driving this market for sure. The latest sensors, power management ICs, connectors, etc used in such vehicles were all being showcased.

But what stood out was the Software Defined Automotive section, where one could see the typical IT-type brands exhibit their wares in an 'electronics' show. Microsoft and AMD-Xilinx were there in a big way, and so was India's IT giant, TCS. The conference on the same theme made you realise how 'digital twins' and the related concepts were going to define the future of automotives.

Soldering irons' incarnation