The 17th MICONEX (Multi-National Instrumentation Exhibition) ran 13–16 September at the China International Exhibition Centre in Beijing. Record 28,000 m² hosted more than 600 exhibitors from over 20 countries and regions — China, the USA, Germany, the UK, Canada and others — building a supply-demand platform for users at home and abroad and a venue for technical exchange.
Attending for our company, I found the show's character quite distinct: foreign exhibitors' enthusiasm had cooled while domestic participation surged — many Chinese exhibitors in the domestic halls, and Chinese firms even appearing in the international halls (perhaps some foreign exhibitor didn't fill a hall!). In spare moments I toured other stands, chiefly watching the actuator segment. Electric actuator products were clearly outnumbered by pneumatic ones — will pneumatics become the mainstream? Rotork, the leading electric brand, was absent, as was AUMA; even Maxonic, once so high-profile with drums and gongs, stayed away this year. Pneumatic products were everywhere (most names unknown to me). The foreign electric products on show were largely bus-controlled, which should represent the future trend. Domestic makers, ours included, displayed no bus products yet — presumably waiting until the bus becomes widespread. I actually spoke with people from the HART Foundation: it costs only USD 5,000 a year. I couldn't help wondering why domestic markets must always be opened up by foreigners first — not just in actuators but every industry: foreigners write the protocols, foreigners open the markets, and we follow. Earning money that way is exhausting! May our domestic colleagues strive so that one day foreigners follow China — and pay us for every actuator they build.
