MUNICH – Initial thoughts from Productronica, where the weather was brisk outside, but starting to heat up inside.

Traffic was a bit slow relative to past years. The show itself seems smaller – and again, this is relative, as it remains bigger than almost all the other major electronics assembly trade shows combined – with traditional powerhouses like Siemens, Universal Instruments and other placement companies occupying booths that, while they would still qualify as monstrous at any other show, no longer fill entire halls on their own. (This is a good thing.)