It’s Only Common Sense: Customers Capabilities—and Confidence
Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘The 'NVIDIA Way: Jensen Huang and the Making of a Tech Giant’
A Critical Moment for Europe’s Electronics Ecosystem
March 3, 2026 | Nolan Johnson, SMT007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
As Europe reexamines its industrial strategy amid geopolitical shifts, how does electronics become a critical priority? In this interview, Alison James, senior director Europe, government relations, at the Global Electronics Association, explains how industry advocacy is influencing the review of the European Chips Act, and why the conversation must extend beyond semiconductors to include PCBs, EMS, and complete systems. With 27 member states to align, can policy move fast enough to secure Europe’s electronics future?
Nolan Johnson: Alison, let’s start our conversation with an update on legislative efforts regarding the European Union’s redevelopment of an electronics manufacturing infrastructure.
Alison James: It starts with the industry call to action we made to the new European Commission in 2024, stating that we needed to put electronics at the heart of Europe's strategic interests and focus. That electronics strategy includes supply-and-demand instruments, and ensuring we have the electronics required for our critical industries. That was the starting point for everything that we look to do in the European Union. In other words, we laid out a roadmap in the call to action.
So, what's happening? First, we have made the critical case for an instrument that enables the building up of the electronics value chain—not only semiconductor chips, but also printed circuit boards and assemblies. We must be able to make the electronic systems for critical industries, including defense, security-critical infrastructure, and industries linked to the digital green transition. So, supply chain resilience is central.
The European Chips Act is currently under review. As part of that, the European Commission asked us to organize a workshop with PCB fabricators and assemblers, something that hadn't happened before. They told us, “We've heard what you said, and we want to understand the situation, concerns, and interests of the PCB and EMS industries.” Just before Christmas, we gathered companies across Europe for a workshop with the Commission.
In January, we met with the political cabinet and emphasized the need for the Chips Act Plus, so there are multiple things happening simultaneously.
To continue reading this interview, which originally appeared in the March 2026 edition of SMT007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Your magazines are a great platform for people to exchange knowledge. Thank you for the work that you do."
Simon Khesin - Schmoll MaschinenSuggested Items
ASMPT Wins JSD as New Distributor
04/21/2026 | ASMPTWith this cooperation, ASMPT is increasing its presence in one of the most dynamic electronics manufacturing regions of the country while improving the support options for its local customers.
Horizon Sales Adds LPKF Laser and Electronics to Its Lineup
04/21/2026 | Horizon SalesHorizon Sales, a leading manufacturers’ representative and distributor to the electronics industry, is pleased to announce a new partnership with LPKF Laser and Electronics, a global leader in precision laser technology
EDIP Opens the Door: EU Funding Now Available for Defence Electronics Including PCBs and Substrates
04/21/2026 | Alison James and Chris Mitchell, Global Electronics AssociationThe European Commission has published a call for proposals under the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), and for European electronics manufacturers the message is clear: this is real money for real capacity, and PCBs and IC substrates are explicitly in scope. EDIP's Industrial Reinforcement Actions (IRA) dedicate €122.25 million to key electronic components, covering guidance electronics, propulsion electronics, RF and laser modules, multispectral cameras, avionics, PCBs and IC substrates, lithium-ion polymer batteries, power electronics, and critical semiconductor building blocks
Women in Technology: Learning to Just Be Myself
04/21/2026 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007Approximately 100 women and a handful of men gathered for a Women in Electronics evening event at APEX EXPO. As I wandered among the tables before it started, I stopped to chat with several women all wearing purple and white polo shirts emblazoned with the TTM logo. It turns out they are part of TTM’s Women in Technology Group, so I sat down and invited them to share their thoughts on coming to the event and what it means to be part of the electronics industry.
Advanced Electronics Packaging at APEX EXPO with Matt Kelly
04/20/2026 | Real Time with... APEX EXPOThe first advanced electronics packaging conference at APEX EXPO 2026 was well-received this year with an engaged audience. Matt Kelly, CTO of the Global Electronics Association, says the expanded focus on component and system-level integration fosters unprecedented collaboration across the industry. Also new this year were the Design Pavilion and Technology Theater, which brought commercial value to technical discussions and highlighted the critical role of timely standards development in rapidly evolving sectors such as AI and automotive.