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Editor's note: This is an excerpt of an article by Chris Mitchell, IPC Vice President, Global Government Relations, and Alison James, Senior Director, European Government Relations.
For far too long, electronics manufacturing has been overlooked in European policy circles, but exciting developments are taking place in Brussels. This year, IPC released a new, unprecedented SWOT analysis of the European EMS and PCB industries produced in collaboration with major stakeholders, including electronics manufacturers, OEMs, trade associations, and trade unions.
The report came at the urging of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship (DG GROW) and SMEs. It reflects interest in the commission’s part to address vulnerabilities in European value chains. In addition to the SWOT analysis, the report lays out initial policy recommendations and calls for further dialogue amongst stakeholders and the government.
This report, delivered to DG GROW and the electronics stakeholder industry community in early August, is the result of sustained and intensifying advocacy by IPC in Brussels over a five-year period. It represents significant progress, yet the most exciting and meaningful achievements remain ahead as IPC works with electronics manufacturers to restore the strategic importance of our industry.
Background
In the past five years, IPC has intensified its commitment to European government relations:
- IPC formed a European government relations committee and the appointment of Alison James as our senior director of government relations.
- In 2020, IPC launched an initiative to bolster European Union (EU) support for the electronics manufacturing industry. This initiative emphasized direct engagement with government officials and new industry research to support the industry’s policy goals.
- In 2021, IPC released Digital Directions, Greener Connections. In explaining how the EMS and PCB industries drive innovation and economic growth, the report made a powerful argument for a more holistic policy approach to the electronics manufacturing industry to further the EU’s digital and green transitions.
Read more about the IPC report in the fall 2023 issue of IPC Community.
