PEDC: Built for the Design Community by the Design Community

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The Pan-European Electronics Design Conference (PEDC) was developed to provide Europe’s electronics design community with a non-commercial, Pan-European, technologically advanced forum. PEDC 2026 delivered exactly that. 

This second edition of the conference brought together 130 participants from 23 countries across Europe and beyond for two days of technical exchange, discussion, and connection. Hosted by the Global Electronics Association and Fachverband Elektroniksdesign und-fertigung e.V. (F.E.D)., and supported by Altium, Siemens, and Zuken, the event featured three technical tracks, 36 presentations, three keynotes, and a group of exhibitors.

Day 1 included keynote presentations from Tomide Adesanmi, Circuit Mind, UK; Alexander Gerfer, Würth Elektronik eiSos, Germany; Simon Seereiner, Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co. KG, Germany; and Thomas Keller Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Germany. Their presentations aligned with panel discussions on key issues such as AI in product development, energy management for high-performance systems, silicon-to-systems design and simulation, among others. 

On the second day, from the first sessions onward, the rooms were full, and the discussions were active. The Silicon-to-Systems track drew strong interest. Designers are dealing with increasing complexity every day, and sessions on multi-physics simulation, UHDI PCBs, and IC substrates clearly resonated

Design for Excellence was another area where we saw strong engagement. Topics ranging from compliance and cost to manufacturing and assembly reflected the real, practical challenges design teams across Europe face. These discussions were grounded, honest, and relevant.

Sustainability also played an important role throughout the program. What stood out was the focus on practical application, how AI tools can support sustainability decisions across the product lifecycle. New companies and startups brought fresh perspectives, including thoughtful contributions around IPC-1783 CO₂e and new approaches to faster, more informed decision-making.

Equally important was the conference's atmosphere. The size and format created space for meaningful interaction. Designers, OEMs, ODMs, EMS providers, PCB manufacturers, printed electronics equipment manufacturers, and design houses from both small and medium-sized companies and larger organizations mixed naturally. PEDC provided a space to speak openly with peers, exchange experiences, and see the full electronics ecosystem represented in one place.

This kind of environment is exactly what the European design community needs.

Europe is diverse in its markets, industries, and company sizes. That diversity makes it even more important to have a neutral, pan-European platform focused purely on education and technical excellence. PEDC was designed to be non-commercial, with sales activity clearly separated from the technical program, and conducted in English to ensure open exchange across borders.

The Global Electronics Association chose to lead this effort because we believe it is our responsibility to be visible from a technical perspective. As the voice of the European EMS and PCB industries and a trusted partner to policymakers, we want to be recognized not only for advocacy but also for technical leadership and high-quality content. PEDC is a natural extension of that role.

The feedback we received was encouraging and constructive. Participants clearly value the conference and are already looking ahead. At the same time, we heard where we can improve, particularly in high-frequency design and next-generation materials, and we are taking that input seriously.

Based on the response to PEDC 2026, we are already planning the next technical conference in 2027, with the same goal: to build a conference that serves the community, reflects real technical needs, and supports collaboration across Europe’s electronics ecosystem.

Peter Tranitz is senior director of technology solutions in Europe. The original blog post can be found here.