Embedded World 2025

by Jeremy Bennett

Embedded World is a bellweather for the state of the global electronics industry. The number of exhibitors and the activity at the show are a good indicator of how well things are going. To be honest, recent years post-COVID have not been the most active. However 2025 has seen a change in sentiment. The official figures show there were 10% more exhibitors. And although the number of attendees was unchanged from 2024, my feeling was that those attending were more interested in buying than just browsing. Embecosm certainly had more meetings and visitors than in any previous year.

AI of course was important, but there is a secondary message about AI that comes from this exhibition. In the news you might be forgiven for thinking that the only thing going on in AI was large-language models running on huge data centers, and that these are how AI is changing the world.

But in reality, where AI is often making a difference is in embedded devices. Improved image recognition, not just for better photos on your phone or for surveillance cameras, but with medical scanners that can spot cancers early, and better quality control on automated production lines. Better audio management, so that sound in your headphones is clearer, but also so hearing aids are more effective. And this is a field where Europe is a very strong player. It was striking to see the presence of AI technology from the likes of NXP and Bosch on so many stands at the show.

While a handful of huge global tech companies have been achieving hugely successful in the past years, the majority of the electronics industry has seen a downturn post-COVID. Not in itself that surprising—this is a cyclical industry. But it is very good to see that downturn coming to an end.