The IFA technology trade fair has started. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz also came to the 100th anniversary of the show. Visitors can enter the exhibition halls under the Berlin radio tower from Friday.
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) opened the IFA, the trade fair for consumer electronics and household appliances, in Berlin – and called for more enthusiasm for technology in Germany. “Because then we will remain the leading industrial country that we are,” he said at the IFA opening gala on the exhibition grounds under the Berlin radio tower.
“Just as each of us understands at least the basics of how a car works, how to use a smartphone or a computer, we must also have the ambition to use artificial intelligence for our own benefit,” Scholz stressed. “We must want to know what semiconductors are and why they are so important for our industry.”
This is also why the federal government has worked hard to bring large chip manufacturers to Germany. “It worked, in less than two years. In my view, an enormous success,” said the Chancellor. “We will keep up with the rapid digital progress and not be dependent on others.”
IFA celebrates its centenary this year
To mark the 100th anniversary, the IFA organizers are expecting around 1,800 exhibitors and more than 182,000 visitors to Berlin at this year’s edition, which runs until Tuesday, September 10th.
“We want to continue to build the IFA into a cultural event that is firmly anchored in the Berlin calendar and appeals to a broad public,” said Leif Lindner, head of the IFA management company, which has been organizing the technology industry’s showcase since 2023. Canadian rock musician Bryan Adams was scheduled to play in the resumed IFA Summer Garden on Thursday evening.
Scholz is expected to return to the IFA on Friday for the official opening tour. According to the organizers, it was the first time since the visit of then Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) in 2006 that a Chancellor came to the trade fair and gave a speech.
Source: Stern
