Secutech 2017 starts next generation security markets in Asia

Secutech concluded its 20th anniversary on a positive note, proving once again to be an important platform for suppliers and buyers to stay at the forefront of the global safety and security market. The show was held from 12 – 14 April 2017 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Centre. During the three-day show, 22,055 visitors from 75 countries and regions explored business collaboration with 372 exhibitors from 13 countries and regions. Every exhibitor showcased their top-notch security devices and solutions across 30,694 sqm of exhibition space.

Foreseeing the skyrocketing demand for IoT solutions and connecting devices in the market, Secutech placed great emphasis on bringing together the intelligent solutions of various trending vertical markets to drive cross-industry innovations. Intelligent Special Pavilions and Intelligent Video Analytics Show Room were two examples that served this purpose.

Ms Regina Tsai, Deputy General Manager for Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media was glad the show attendees benefited from this idea: “During these three days, I observed lots of business dialogues at each booth. Both exhibitors and visitors agreed they need a platform to connect and upgrade existing standard traditional security devices with new technologies. We will continue to work on this direction to facilitate industry people’s navigation in the evolving security ecosystem.”

Business opportunities for exhibitors and buyers

Exhibitors recognised Secutech as a meeting point to collaborate with high-quality system integrators from Asia. Hi Sharp Electronics Co Ltd, marking its 30th anniversary, is keen to work with Japanese system integrators, who are known for their attention to details. Company Representative Mr Chen Yan-Xiong shared: “We expect to find new business leads and to maintain our relationships with existing clients at the show. By participating in Secutech, we can let them know different integrated solutions like car safety and industrial automation technologies are on offer. The booth was packed with people. During the show, we have connected with different sales networks and quality system integrators from Japan. Japanese system integrators in particular have high expectations on cameras, lenses and related products. If we can cooperate with them, this will certainly increase our brand’s recognition in the global industry. Secutech is a good networking platform, which helps us penetrate different markets.”

While networking is an essential part to attain business success, the fair provided a good opportunity for exhibitors to initiate cross-industry integration. Once used to support business partners to exhibit at Secutech, Network Optix Inc made the move to participate in the show this year after witnessing its capacity to attract buyers from various markets.

The company’s APAC Channel Sales Manager, Mr Andy Wen, said: “Last year we noticed that the show was changing in a sense that there was a greater visitor flow and many of them were serious buyers. So, we decided to exhibit this year in a bid to find and connect end-users here with our agents in Northeast Asia and China. We have invited many of our key customers in Asia to visit the show. At our stand, we display our own hardware devices and organise successful case sharing presented by 12 of our business partners. They are using our products in transportation, factories, IT server rooms, and retail and interior businesses. The multiple applications and solutions of our products impress end-users. The collaboration between traditional devices and software is definitely one of the main trends of the safety and security industry.”

Special Intelligent Pavilions

The reason why Special Intelligent Pavilions for retail, transportation, industrial zones and factories were set up at the show is to demonstrate real world applications and promote cross-industry cooperation. As an exhibitor of the smart retail zone, Mr Andy Chen of NUUO Inc said both exhibitors and visitors can benefit from the pavilions’ classification.

 “It is very important that different themed zones are set up to display different products from various exhibitors. It allows clients and partners to explore new solutions. The arrangement of the show is good. Halls are categorised according to the sectors under the vertical market respectively. Overall, the result is satisfactory. Manufacturers, partners, and clients can access technologies and products they want directly and instantly at the show. I hope Secutech can continue this direction and further delve into the vertical market,” Mr Chen explained.

The aim of Secutech this year is to strengthen cross-industry collaboration. Therefore, an effective business matching programme is in place to act as a bridge between exhibitors and buyers. A total of 438 business matching sessions were held and successfully connected 151 exhibitors with 73 buyers.

Among those buyers who found the business matching programme rewarding, Office Building Unpins, a fire alarm manufacturer from Bulgaria, started partnerships with Taiwanese counterparts for the first time. Commercial Director Ms Angelina Petrova said: “We have found potential suppliers to be our OEMs and sell our products through the business matching services. I will definitely stay in touch with them to further discuss price and implementation. This is our first time cooperating with Taiwanese firms. Their quality is good and their products are certified. Besides, they are capable of giving me insights on the possible integration solutions. For example, one of the exhibitors provides a fire prevention camera that can be connected to our systems. It is absolutely worth visiting Secutech.”

The fair is also a place for buyers to identify up-and-coming industry trends. Director of Infortek Ltd Mr Leo Peng was satisfied with the acute business sense presented at the show. “I think Secutech is one of the most professional fairs in the region. I visit the fair to source smart home and smart healthcare products. Both sectors are developing at a fast pace and the market demand is huge. One of the major trends in the industry is the integration of smart home and home security functions. And I can spot this trend from the fair. I found many outstanding products such as portable healthcare devices. It gave me ideas about our company’s future project planning.”

Huge range of forums and seminars

To consolidate the show’s status as a holistic platform for business and information sharing, more than 150 sessions of seminars related to disaster prevention, system integration, security components, smart home and more were organised over the course of three days. Conferences, forums, and seminars addressing different topics all embraced a common goal in highlighting challenges and proposing solutions in corresponding areas across the vertical markets.

The President of the Taiwan Association of Disaster Prevention Industry Association, Mr Jimmy Chou, was the host at the Asia Pacific Smart Disaster Prevention Summit & Exhibition. He was thrilled to discuss disaster prevention measures with key stakeholders from other Asian countries. He explained: “The forum encourages interaction between the speakers and audience. Many experts, government officials and academics from Japan, Thailand and Vietnam have shared their experiences and insights in the future development of disaster prevention. The prevention of the possibility of multiple disasters is raised given the salience in Taiwan and Japan. I think the session was fruitful for industry communication and exchanging ideas.”

General Manager of Parsons Brinckerhoff, Mr Frank Lin, a speaker of Asia Systems Integration Forum, also found the event insightful. He said: “As a business consultant company, we are hoping to connect with local suppliers and system integrators from Taiwan and Asia, and to introduce our technologies and expertise to them. This forum is a place to expand our network with these system integrators. After the forum, I received some enquiries from the audience who wanted to further discuss business opportunities.”

Effectiveness of Forum

First-time speaker, Mr Tetsuo Nagano from Solution Planning Department, Security Business Planning Division, Hitachi Industry Control Solutions Ltd praised the effectiveness of the CompoSec Forum. Mr Nagano said: “My goal is to introduce the advantage of finger vein identification and the result is excellent. I think it is great to have this event as it demonstrates the latest technologies in the industry and fosters industry communication. It is a perfect chance to get in touch with potential business partners. As Taiwan is a manufacturing hub that gathers numerous innovative companies, Hitachi hopes to cooperate with enterprises here and expands our technologies to the international market. For this purpose, I think Secutech is the place to be.”

An attendee of the SMAHome International Conference, Mr Zhang Guangsheng is a software department supervisor at Diveotech. He acquired the latest information about fast-track IoT deployments and commented: “IoT is currently one of the most-discussed trends and topics. Many companies have developed related platforms and applications to capture opportunities in the IoT era. Our company provides intelligent solutions including image and data analysis. It is important for us to be here to learn more about industry development. The speaker shared ideas on IoT and also their new innovations. I have learnt a lot and look forward to future editions.”

Apart from the forums mentioned above, the Secutech excellence award reviewed and recognised products capable of delivering excellent 4K UHD intelligent image monitoring performance. A special zone for 3D Intelligent Video Analytics demonstrated the application of smart video tracking, 3D people counting, deep learning, direction detection, plate recognition, and hot spot analysis.

Another highlight is the debut of the Z-Wave Academy in Asia, lining up smart home and home automation industry professionals to deliver a series of training and hands-on experience. Additionally, the SMAhome Awards 2017 presented six awards (Top of Excellence, Top of Innovation, Top of ID Design, Top of Solution, Top of Popularity, and Cloud Platform & Software Excellence Awards) to outstanding smart home products worldwide.