[News Terms] Europe's Largest Home Appliance Exhibition Boasting a 100-Year History

Overseas consumers are experiencing the Galaxy Z Fold4 at 'IFA 2022' held last year.

The 'Internationale FunkAusstellung (IFA) 2023,' Europe's largest home appliance exhibition, will open on the 1st of next month in Berlin, Germany. As major home appliance, electronics, and information technology (IT) companies from around the world showcase their latest products featuring cutting-edge technologies over five days, it offers a comprehensive glimpse into global trends in the home appliance and electronics industries.

IFA is considered one of the world's top three IT and home appliance exhibitions, alongside the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, USA, and the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. It is held annually every September in Berlin, Germany. Having started in 1924, it boasts a remarkable history of 100 years. It is also one of the oldest industrial exhibitions in Germany, organized by the German Home Appliance and Consumer Electronics Association (GFU).

Initially, IFA began as a radio exhibition. It was an event established by the German government to showcase innovative radio technology, which was then a new media, but gradually evolved into a competition ground for cutting-edge technologies from leading global home appliance companies. In 1932, the world's first car radio was introduced, followed by the first color TV in 1937 and the first CD (compact disc) in 1981, building its reputation as a debut stage for innovative products across eras.

Notably, in 1930, the world-renowned physicist Dr. Albert Einstein delivered the keynote speech. However, the exhibition also has a dark history; in 1933, under the orders of Paul Joseph Goebbels, head of propaganda for the Nazi regime, the radio receiver 'Vox Empf?nger,' supported by the Nazi government, was introduced here.

From 1924 to 1939, it was an annual event, but after the war, it resumed in 1950 and was held biennially until 2005. With the rapid advancement of information and communication technology, it has been held annually since 2006. The venue moved among D?sseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart, and other locations, but since 1971, it has been held in Berlin.

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the event limited daily attendance to 1,000 people and shortened the duration to three days, operating both online and offline. However, it failed to attract major companies and was unsuccessful. In 2021, it was held entirely online, and only last year did it return to a full offline event after three years.

The nature of IFA, once focused on on-site marketing, has gradually transformed into a competition stage where new technologies and products make their debut. Although it is still regarded as an exhibition centered on the so-called 'big three home appliances'?TVs, refrigerators, and washing machines?the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and 5th generation mobile communication (5G) within these products means the technological level is considered high. Recently, electronic products that are difficult to categorize strictly as home appliances, such as mobility devices, semiconductors, and mobile phones, are also exhibited.

This year, over 2,000 companies from 150 countries are participating, with 180,000 buyers expected to visit, making it the largest exhibition in history. The exhibition space is organized into fields such as audio, communication and connectivity, computing and gaming, digital health, home entertainment, home appliances, imaging and video, mobility, and robotics. Domestically, more than 140 companies, including the two giants of the home appliance and electronics industry, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, as well as startups, are preparing to participate.

The keywords for 'IFA 2023' are AI, robotics, and high-efficiency energy. Exhibits and technologies targeting these areas are expected to dominate. In particular, with the 'Sustainability Village' being introduced for the first time, innovative technologies aimed at energy reduction and high efficiency are anticipated to attract significant attention.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.