Friday September 27 was the last day of the World of Industry, Technology & Science (WoTS). The biennial technology trade fair of the Benelux. The Jaarbeurs Utrecht was the meeting place from 23 to 27 September where more than 15,000 professionals, students, scientists and tech enthusiasts came together.
From the first day, visitors from the Jaarbeursplein stream towards the entrances and spread out over the halls. The carefully designed stands welcome the first visitors. More than 430 companies are ready for you, from laboratory equipment to industrial applications and advanced electronics. One by one, visitors receive their badge and spread out over the different worlds.
Candy store
In hall 9 at the distribution desk of the trade fair gadget, this year the Environmental Monitor, a group of students from Windesheim University of Applied Sciences are busy with screwdrivers. One of the students is removing the plastic layer from the solar panel. "We just have to activate it later," he says. "And then, hacking of course and working on the home assistant hanging.” The third-year students are at the fair for the first time. “There are nice things to see everywhere and I am looking for an internship. Collecting the different parts is a nice starting point to talk to companies. This really feels like a candy store.”
Robot get-together
In hall 11, exhibitors and visitors are hunched over a workbench full of instruments. Futuristic robot arms are displayed in gleaming displays and you can hear the automated hum of valves and actuators that switch rhythmically. The process industry is also well represented in hall 8. From screw conveyors to instrumentation and tanks and silos. Here you accidentally get a glimpse into the world of tomorrow. In the aisle, the robot dogs of Yokogawa and Defence meet each other; a true robot get-together. Visitors enjoy this treat amidst enthusiastic buzz.
Stamp card
In the World of Laboratory, visitors can go on their own research. At the ticket counter, there is a long line for the X-pedition: an interactive tour of the exhibition floor along six specialists. Students and seasoned professionals are sent out with a stamp card and learn in a practical way about sustainable and safe solutions in the laboratory. With a full stamp card and a bag full of pens, flyers and presents, visitors walk to the seminar rooms. It is a special sight: in between all the activity, visitors are listening intently thanks to a silent disco system.
Overloaded with information, impressions and experiences, the visitors leave the Jaarbeurs at the end of the day. The WoTS is more than a trade fair; it is a platform where people with the same interests and goals come together. This is where valuable contacts and collaborations are created that reach beyond the trade fair floor.
We look forward to welcoming you again at the next WoTS.