TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--COMPUTEX 2016 (May 31st to June 4th), the leading global ICT show with a complete supply chain, showcased the latest and greatest from global technology companies such as ABB, Acer, Audi, BenQ, Cooler Master, Intel, Qualcomm, Microsoft, MSI, SAMSUNG, Siemens, Mercedes-Benz and from innovative international startups. This year’s conference ushered in a new era of the Internet of Things along with the show’s new positioning “building partnerships in internet computing ecosystems.” Exhibits targeted four main themes: IoT applications, business solutions, innovation and startups, and gaming.
COMPUTEX Expands Influence and Reaches New Heights
This influential and important global ICT event attracted 40,969 international ICT professionals, an increase of almost five percent over last year. International visitors came from 177 countries worldwide, growing by 9 percent. The top five countries with the greatest turnout of international visitors were: China, Japan, USA, Hong Kong and Korea.
Each year, COMPUTEX attracts a greater number of local and international buyers. COMPUTEX 2016 hosted 1,602 local and international exhibitors occupying 5,009 booths (23 percent were first-timers). Over the years, COMPUTEX has grown and evolved with the ICT industry, and its efforts are recognized by established and emerging tech companies alike. This year, TAITRA, the conference organizer, arranged 822 one-on-one procurement meetings to directly link 188 VIP buyers with exhibitors, promoting superior ICT products to the world and facilitating engagements among tech professionals.
This year’s debut of InnoVEX, an exhibit featuring innovation by startups, introduced a new dynamic at COMPUTEX. Futuristic products, event lineups on two stages, startup pitch contests, and displays by 217 startups (including 25 award-winning teams) from 22 countries contributed to the excitement--attracting 10,975 visits over three days for this exhibit. Startups from around the world were invited to showcase their ideas, search for investment, develop partnerships and engage with potential buyers.
An InnoVEX Pitch Contest provided financial incentives and experienced judges, attracting 102 participating teams from 17 countries. After three elimination rounds, eight finalists competed on June 2nd. The InnoVEX Grand Prize winner was Taiwan-Silicon Valley MoBagel, the only team previously selected in the 500 Startups accelerator of 2015. The company presented its “Real-Time Predictive Analytics for IoT Devices,” predicting big data analytics and combining artificial intelligence with connected home appliances for smart business forecasting.
Another highlight was in the area of e-sports and gaming. COMPUTEX collaborated with HWBOT by hosting the HWBOT World Tour 2016 at COMPUTEX and invited global overclocking professionals to challenge the limits of existing hardware capabilities. Chief Operating Officer of HWBOT Pieter Jan-Plaisier said, “The great devices by Taiwan’s gaming manufacturers coupled with the reputation of COMPUTEX attracted many overclocking masters to this debut event in Taiwan.” The Light Gallery of Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1 was redesigned into an overclocking arena for this unprecedented competition. Liquid nitrogen needed to cool the devices filled the air.
New Future Technologies Reflecting Innovative IoT Trends Unveiled
COMPUTEX 2016 focused on IoT development as many exhibitors displayed their latest smart devices spanning all aspects of IoT including smart retail, virtual reality, 3D printing, robotics, and comprehensive business solutions. During COMPUTEX, chip giant, Intel, announced its collaboration with Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry) for developing various network infrastructure technologies, fully demonstrating the importance of COMPUTEX in the ICT industry and how IoT will lead the next wave of the Industry 4.0 evolution. Besides IoT developments among established industry leaders, COMPUTEX 2016 also celebrated innovations by startups at InnoVEX.
ICT Industry Leaders Shared Knowledge and Insights at CPX Conference
The CPX Conference, organized by TAITRA, featured insights from top world tech leaders. The lineup of the two-day conference attracted more than 2,300 and included keynote speeches on IoT applications, ecosystem partnerships, and innovative startups from: the CEO of ARM, Simon Segars; innovation designer for Milan Candidate City Expo 2015, Vito Di Bari -- one of three major futurists in the world; Rahul Patel, senior vice president and general manager of connectivity, Qualcomm; Steve Wyatt, group vice president of ABB Robotics; Erdal Elver, president & CEO of Siemens Ltd. Taiwan; Lucas Wang, CEO of HWTrek; Allan Yang, CTO of Advantech; Simon Wang, senior director of Internet of Things business development, TSMC among others.
Simon Segars during his keynote remarked, “IoT is no longer just an imaginary concept. Hardware-software integration will facilitate comprehensive solutions in various aspects. In the IoT ecosystem, technology, enterprise, platform and information integrations will enable more opportunities.” Vito Di Bari emphasized how Taiwan’s solid manufacturing capabilities have laid a solid foundation for technology innovation.
Save the Date for COMPUTEX 2017—More ICT Innovation to Come!
At the closing press conference, Walter Yeh, executive vice president of TAITRA, remarked, “TAITRA would like to express our gratitude to all of this year’s supporters, exhibitors and attendees. COMPUTEX 2017 will open from May 30th to June 3rd. We look forward to seeing you there.”
About COMPUTEX TAIPEI (known as COMPUTEX):
Established in 1981, COMPUTEX TAIPEI is the leading global ICT show with a complete supply chain. Co-organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and the Taipei Computer Association (TCA), COMPUTEX, in the heart of Taiwan’s ICT cluster, covers the whole spectrum of ICT from upstream components-manufacturing all the way to system assembly and IoT applications. With over a third of the world’s computing devices made by Taiwanese companies, Taiwan is a strategic destination for buyers looking for partners in Internet computing ecosystems. Follow COMPUTEX TAIPEI on its website at www.computextaipei.com.tw and on Twitter @computex_taipei using the hashtag #COMPUTEX.
About TAITRA:
TAITRA, the Taiwan External Trade and Development Council, organized 36 exhibitions in 2015. A total of 11,475 international and local exhibitors participated, occupying 32,982 booth spaces and visited by 82,939 international visitors.
