The IMS2020 (IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium) and Microwave Week events, originally scheduled for June 21-26, 2020 in Los Angeles, CA, announced they will be transitioning to a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020 event's organizers said they made the difficult decision to re-orient after careful consultation and review with government authorities, partners, and venues. The time frame for the virtual event will be August 2020.
IMS2020 is the flagship conference of Microwave Week, among the world’s largest events for RF and microwave technology, which brings 10,000 attendees from 48 countries and over 600 exhibiting companies.
The planned virtual event will continue with the theme of ‘Connectivity Matters,’ built on the "five pillars that link the world," as reckoned by the events' organizers, including: 5G and 6G networks; aerospace and defense programs; autonomous vehicles; the digital economy; and ensuring the connection of under-represented communities.
“The RF and Microwave industry is critical in a time when we are striving to connect in a socially distanced world,” commented Timothy Lee, IMS2020 General Chair.
Lee continued, “IMS has always been the center of innovation in the wireless, bringing together the brightest in our community. Though we cannot connect in person, we’re able to connect virtually this year because of the communication technology developed by our industry. While we’re disappointed [that] we can’t meet face-to-face this year, we’re working diligently to make sure the world is able to communicate while we’re apart.”
IMS2020’s program will be amended slightly to accommodate the virtual conference. Experts will still be presenting the latest research, developments and insights on topics such as 5G, millimeter wave systems, and terahertz theory and techniques. Key industry leaders and companies will be presenting the latest cutting-edge products and services that enable solutions for wireless communications, test and measurement, and more.
The conference is co-located with IEEE’s Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium (RFIC) and ARFTG Microwave Measurement Conference. Events featured include the program's technical sessions, technical lectures, panel sessions, 5G summit, industry workshops, MicroApps, virtual exhibition and several notable keynote speakers including:
- Thomas Cho, Executive Vice President, Head of Infra & Design Technology Center at Samsung
- Ali Hajimiri, Bren Professor of Electrical Engineering and Medical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology
- Mark Dankberg, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, VIASAT
- Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union
- Harmut Neven, Engineering Director, Google AI Quantum Team
Updates regarding the event will be published on the IMS2020 website. To learn more, visit https://www.ims-ieee.org/.