Switzerland’s high-precision trade show goes from strength to strength

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Switzerland’s high-precision trade show goes from strength to strength - EPHJ-EPMT-SMT
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The EPHJ-EPMT-SMT trade show has established itself as an important source of information for technological innovations in the watchmaking industry

The EPHJ-EPMT-SMT trade show has recorded its 13th consecutive year of growth, increasing the number of exhibitors to 820. Up to 20,000 visitors from the respective fields of watchmaking, micro-technology and medtech are expected to attend the show, which is being held from 17 to 20 June at the Palexpo in Geneva.

Although companies that supply the watchmaking and jewellery industries continue to account for the majority of exhibitors (around 500), over 200 companies active in the medical technology sector will be exhibiting at the show, some of which will be grouped together in a new “Medtech Village” that has been set up in partnership with BioAlps, a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting the life sciences cluster in western Switzerland, and Inartis, a “community sourcing” network.

While the influence of the micro-technology industry on the watchmaking industry is clear, the medtech industry is also making an increasing contribution to horological progress – a trend that will be explored further in one of several round-table discussions planned during the show. Other important subjects that will be covered by these round-table discussions are the importance of the Swiss Made label abroad, the future of the SME model given the growing trend towards vertical integration and, staying with the SME theme (the majority of the exhibitors are SMEs), the challenge of managing knowledge transfer and succession in these small and medium-sized companies.

To underscore the exhibition’s role as an incubator for the latest technologies, the organisers have formed a committee that will examine the technological advances presented at the show with a view to creating a shortlist of candidates for the 2014 Exhibitors’ Grand Prize, which will be awarded towards the end of the show.