Chancellor Opens CeBIT Fair in Hanover

German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder opens the world's largest high-tech trade fair on Wednesday night in Hanover. After several years of economic gloom that has dampened the enthusiasm around CeBIT, organizers of this year's show are predicting more visitors and increased spending by companies. More than 510,000 are expected for the week-long event, which takes place among 27 hangar-sized exhibit halls which showcase the latest developments in technology. This year, the focus is expected to be on how technology applications are moving from desktop and laptop computers into other everyday objects, including refrigerators, microwave ovens or tennis shoes. Adidas is unveiling sneakers that have an on-board processor able to perform five million calculations per second. Also to take place during the week is a technology summit where business executives will discuss how globalization and outsourcing is affecting markets. They will also look at how the emergence of India and China will affect technology growth.