PRESS RELEASE January 2017

W3+ FAIR 2017 in / Germany Organiser: Two days of knowledge transfer with high-calibre keynote FLEET Events GmbH Zirkusweg 1 speakers and specialist presentations 20359 Hamburg Phone: +49 40 66 906 900 Fax: +49 40 66 906 800 The innovative networking fair for precision technologies will once again Email: [email protected] Website: www.fleet-events.de become the meeting place for high-tech industries in February 2017. As well as the compact exhibition, numerous high-level specialist presentations are planned. The programme will include short lectures by the European industry association EPIC, the Leica Microsystems Microscopy Forum and the seminar "Hands-on Industry 4.0." by the - Chamber of Commerce. School and university students are expected on the second day of the fair. Tickets are now available at www.w3-messe.de/ticketshop.

Hamburg, 10 January 2017 – Scientists, developers, producers, users and many decision-makers from the fields of optics, electronics and mechanics will come together on 21-22 February 2017 at the networking fair W3+ FAIR (www.w3-messe.de) in Wetzlar. As well as the actual trade fair, which now has over 165 exhibitors, partners and sponsors – including 27% from abroad – the event also offers top class presentations and workshops. Many of them are free. One highlight is Tech-Watch, which is organised by the photonics consortium EPIC. Here, users meet technical developers to match requirements with feasibility. The short lectures focus on high-precision technologies in the key markets of manufacturing and life science. The Leica Microsystems Microscopy Forum provides information about "Innovations in Microscopy". Visitors can also attend four lectures on new possibilities in the fields of microscopy, digital microscopy and 3D microscopy. Very practical advice will be provided at the expert seminar "Hands-on Industry 4.0." by the Lahn Dill Chamber of Commerce: numerous best-practice lectures will be given with the intention of providing practical support to small and medium- sized businesses as they take their first steps towards digitalisation. Speakers from Lufthansa Industry Solutions, Pfeiffer Vacuum and Rittal will discuss large data flows, machine networking and securing a business model. Rolf Neumann from Robert Bosch will give the publicly available keynote speech with his lecture "From Hype to Reality" and will talk about the implementation of digitalisation at Bosch. Other keynote speeches will also be given by Thomas Le Blanc and Klaudia Seidel from the Phantastische Bibliothek library in Wetzlar. The topics will be "robot colleagues" and "holographic visions". In addition to the lecture "Opportunities and Challenges of the Photonics Market", the industry association Spectaris is

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PRESS RELEASE January 2017

organising a CEO panel session. Of interest to newcomers to the sector are Organiser: the short courses from Optence, which will provide a deep insight into FLEET Events GmbH related topics such as LED, optical coating, plastic lenses, etc. Zirkusweg 1 20359 Hamburg Phone: +49 40 66 906 900 Student Day offers the best recruitment opportunities Fax: +49 40 66 906 800 Recruitment is a key topic at the W3+ FAIR. On the second day of the fair, 22 Email: [email protected] Website: www.fleet-events.de February 2017, Student Day will take place – supported by the University of Applied Sciences of Central (THM). To date, around 250 school and university students have signed up to make contact with potential future employers. Interesting job options for employees with and without professional experience can be found at the "jobvector" Science Career Centre. On the central job wall in the Recruitment Area, recruiters for technical professions will post job offers for all levels. But visitors should also keep their eyes open in the exhibition hall, as this year all companies with recruitment needs are specifically identified.

Tickets for the W3+ FAIR are available now from the ticket shop. A day ticket for the W3+ FAIR costs 25 euros and for 40 euros, you can attend the event on both days. Entry is free for school and university students. The entrance fee to the fair also includes access to all free lectures.

More information, image material and the ticket shop are available at www.w3-messe.de

All interested journalists are cordially invited to attend the W3+ FAIR. Please apply for accreditation at www.w3-messe.de/de/Presse/Akkreditierung

About the W3+ FAIR The event is based on an industry initiative in Wetzlar and Middle Hesse intended to promote networking between the three sectors of optics, electronics and mechanics. The aim is that new connections will pave the way for future-oriented technologies. The trade fair was held for the first time in February 2014 in the Rittal Arena in Wetzlar. A highlight of the trade fair is its high-quality and largely free supporting programme. The W3+ FAIR is organised by the Hamburg trade fair organiser FLEET Events (www.fleet- events.de). The event is supported by the Wetzlar Network (www.wetzlar- network.de), from which it takes its name, and the specialist network Optence (www.optence.de).

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