Life Lintner, CEO of IFA, Europe's largest home appliance exhibition, visited Korea and stated, "This year, global IT semiconductor companies such as Nvidia, Qualcomm, and AMD are scheduled to participate in IFA as keynote speakers or panelists."
On June 26, at Studio159 in COEX, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, CEO Lintner held a press conference and said, "Attracting major companies feels like running a long marathon," and added, "We aim to broaden the target audience participating in the show by enabling IT companies to join IFA in various ways."
IFA is considered one of the world's top three electronics and IT exhibitions, alongside CES in Las Vegas, USA, and Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. This year, IFA will be held under the theme 'Imagining the Future' from September 5 to 9 (local time) in Berlin, Germany.
CEO Lintner said, "After considering how people can truly experience technological change, I concluded that the first piece of the puzzle is 'imagining the future,'" and added, "Artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and sustainability will be the main trends."
Last year, IFA saw participation from 1,804 companies across 44 countries. In particular, media reach in Korea increased by 281% compared to the previous year, demonstrating a significant rise in global media influence.
This year, leading Korean companies are expected to participate in large numbers across all sectors, including AI, smart home, home appliances, communications, gaming, digital health, and mobility, further strengthening their presence on the global stage.
CEO Lintner described Korea as "a core hub of global technological innovation," and highlighted home appliance subscription services as a noteworthy business in the Korean market. Home appliance subscriptions began in earnest when LG Electronics launched water purifier rentals in 2009, and Samsung Electronics also entered the business in December of last year. Recently, Lotte Himart has joined the market as well.
He stated, "Subscription services appear to offer opportunities and benefits to both consumers and companies," and added, "I expect that Germany and Europe will also embrace the subscription business within a few months."
This year, IFA will host the 'IFA Retail Leaders Summit' for the first time as a venue for exchange within the distribution industry. This event, which brings together the global retail and consumer tech sectors, will also see participation from Korean companies such as Coupang.
CEO Lintner added, "IFA 2025 will continue to serve as a unique platform where global brands, startups, and leaders can communicate directly with consumers, maintaining its central role in the industry," and emphasized, "We will continue to drive innovation and establish IFA as a global hub supporting sustainable growth across the industry."
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