[IFA 2023] Largest Ever Scale... Korea Deploys 174 Companies Amid China's Highest Participation

The IFA 2023, Europe's largest home appliance and IT exhibition held over five days in Berlin, Germany, officially opened on the 1st (local time) with the largest scale ever. Marking its 99th anniversary this year, the exhibition keywords for IFA 2023 are Artificial Intelligence (AI) and sustainability. Accordingly, Samsung Electronics focused its exhibition on 'Hyperconnectivity,' while LG Electronics emphasized 'Sustainable Life for All.'

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

IFA is the largest home appliance and IT exhibition in Europe, standing at the center of technology and innovation. Along with CES in Las Vegas, USA, and MWC in Barcelona, Spain, it is considered one of the world's top three electronics and IT exhibitions. Since 1924, IFA has played a key role in technological innovation transitions by showcasing cutting-edge electronic products for the first time, such as tube radio receivers, Europe's first car radios and color TVs, and the first video recorders.

Especially this year, over 2,000 companies from 48 countries in fields such as home appliances, home entertainment, audio, communications, computing, and gaming are participating, making it the largest scale ever. It is estimated that more than 180,000 visitors from over 150 countries will visit the exhibition hall.

The rise of Chinese companies is a notable aspect of this exhibition. China set a record as the country with the most participants at IFA 2023, with 1,279 companies attending. They are followed by Germany with 226 companies and Korea with 174 companies. Until last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and border closures, only about 200 Chinese companies participated, but this year, the number of participating companies increased about sixfold following the Chinese government's reopening.

Notably, the keynote speeches on the opening day, the 1st, were delivered by George Zhao, CEO of Honor, a Chinese smartphone company spun off from Huawei, and Fischer Yu, CEO of Hisense, a home appliance company. It is unprecedented for two Chinese companies to deliver the opening day keynote speeches. In addition to Honor and Hisense, companies such as TCL and Haier, which have emerged as competitors to Korean companies, have set up large exhibition booths to target the European market.

In Korea, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics each prepared exhibition halls themed 'Hyperconnectivity' and 'Sustainable Life,' respectively. Samsung Electronics showcases various latest products in video displays, home appliances, and mobile sectors under the theme 'Meaningful Connection' in the industry's largest exhibition space of 6,026㎡. LG Electronics unveils home appliances and energy solutions for a sustainable daily life under the theme 'Joy and Sustainable Life for All.'

This IFA, with AI and sustainability as keywords, established the 'Sustainability Village' for the first time. It is an exhibition space that introduces the latest technologies of participating companies related to sustaining people and nature and also serves as a networking venue for participants. Global leaders driving smart homes, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and cloud gaming will also hold the 'IFA Leaders Summit,' where they lecture and discuss major issues.

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