AI홈서 로봇까지…유럽 최대 가전 전시회 개막

The 102-year-old International Home Appliance Show (IFA) in Berlin, Germany concluded on April 4 after a grand opening ceremony on April 2. The show, themed "The future is now," featured over 1,900 companies and brands from 49 countries exhibiting their latest products. Europe's home appliance market, despite facing challenges due to rising raw material prices and competitive pressures, remains the world's second largest.

GFU Deputy General Manager Karine Charond stressed that the key to growth lies in making consumers' lives more convenient, improving energy efficiency, and introducing new usage methods. At the 3745㎡, LG Electronics' exhibit at the Meise Berlin hall showcased an AI home hub named 'Clloyd' at its entrance. Clloyd, along with 30+ household appliances like TVs, smart TVs, laptops, and air conditioners, demonstrated how AI can control and optimize household devices based on user patterns.

The exhibit's 46% space was dedicated to B2B customer consultations between major companies, a first for Europe. LG Electronics showcased energy-efficient products like washing machines with up to 70% power reduction and fridges with 35% reduction, aiming to lead in efficiency competition. Samsung Electronics moved its flagship exhibit from the central exhibition hall to the Humboldt-Karree trade fair, but set up a creator-focused space in the IFA Pal in IFA Hall, featuring a 'Galaxy Jet (Z) Fold8' mission-based escape room game.

China's robotics sector was notably present, with 932 exhibitors, marking the largest turnout ever. Notable among them was Xiaomi's debut with the 'Xiaomi 18 Fold,' a flagship smartphone featuring the new XRING O3 chip and a humanoid robot named 'CyberOne' that demonstrated improved manufacturing efficiency, increasing from 90% to 98% in a factory setting.

The exhibit also featured the largest standalone foreign showcase in IFA history, covering 1,000 square meters and displaying over 380 products. The core theme was creating a 'person×car×home' smart ecosystem, connecting smartphones, smart homes, and electric vehicles.