Following the successful W3+ Fair in Wetzlar, which attracted 2,000 trade visitors in March, the technology trade fair will also take place in the Thuringian high-tech hotspot of Jena in September (see p. 935). Tanja Knott, Business Director of the organizer FLEET Events, spoke to us about the double event.
The W3+Fair takes place twice a year, once in Wetzlar, once in Jena ...
The birthplace of the event is Wetzlar. This also explains the name: W3 stands for 'Wetzlar' and the three sectors of optics, electronics and mechanics. Photonics has since been added. The trade fair brings them all together under one roof. We had had our eye on the Jena location for a long time and got talking to the managing directors of the local OptoNet network. There was great motivation on both sides to establish an industry get-together at this location as well.
How do the two events differ from each other?
Of course, they are characterized by their respective locations. In Wetzlar, companies from the optical industry are more present, in Jena those from photonics. The W3+Fair takes place where these technologies are at home. However, the event is always interdisciplinary. Its origins were regional, but it has long since spread to the rest of Germany and is accepted internationally.
What does the event offer for electronics and electronics manufacturing?
Electronics is part of the DNA of W3+Fair. The event is a promise for the future. Thanks to its cross-industry character, it offers a close alliance with neighboring sectors. Technologies can be developed and innovations driven forward together. The W3+ Fair provides the impetus here.
"We see ourselves as a marketplace for future technologies"
Which future technologies will be in focus in 2025?
Suppliers to the automotive industry are looking at what other areas their products could be used in. The areas of defense & security and aerospace are currently receiving a lot of attention. We are presenting them at the trade fair with two themed blocks consisting of presentations, guided tours and a get-together. In this way, we offer visitors orientation so that they can acquire knowledge, make new contacts and go home with real added value.
What changes have there been since 2024?
Ultimately, our concept is constantly evolving. We have become bigger, with even stronger supra-regional and international influences. We are now in our third year of growth in Jena and are offering a new third hall for the first time. That alone will completely change the event. We also see ourselves more and more as a 'modern marketplace' where technologies, knowledge and talents come together and jointly launch new solutions.
