IFA chief hopes for Japanese companies' participation

BERLIN's chief of the ongoing IFA tech show in Berlin expressed hope for the participation of many Japanese companies when the event celebrates its 100th anniversary next year. Leif Lindner regretd that IFA could not reach out to Japanese companies sufficiently, as it turned out that their presence in this year's event was weak compared to Chinese and South Korean companies. IFA was not able to communicate to the Japanese society and community the importance of the event, he said in a recent interview with Jiji Press and other media organizations. Lindner said IFA will be revamped on the occasion of its 100th anniversary to make it more entertaining and more relevant. He also said that IFA is considering holding street shows and live music performances to shine a light on the content industry. Lindner, who has worked for Japan's Sony Corp., showed his strong commitment to IFA's partnership with Sony. Sony is also part of Berlin, Lindner said, stating his desire to strengthen ties with the Japanese company which made itself rather low-key in this year's event. IFA, founded in 1924, has a rich history of demonstrating consumer gadgets and innovation. Einstein, a theoretical physicist born in Germany, delivered a speech at the event in 1930. However, electronics makers have started to focus on software and services, and it's been a challenge for IFA to bridge the gap between these companies wishes and the events conventional display methods that became evident after the novel coronavirus pandemic. This year's exhibition will feature more than 2,000 companies. The event, which opened Friday and will run until Tuesday, is expected to draw more than 180,000 visitors.