EMS@C-LEVEL
As Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company and SCOOP writer, Philip Stoten, continues to talk to EMS (Electronic Manufacturing Services) executives he learns more about their individual and collective experiences and their expectations for their own businesses and for the entire electronic manufacturing industry.
EMS@C-LEVEL
IPC at Electronica 24: Strategic Collaboration and Self-Reliance in a Global Market
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IPC Senior Director Europe, Government Relations Alison James sheds light on the intricate relationship between the electronics industry and European institutions, delving into the significant strides made through collaboration and constant communication with the European Commission. As Europe stands on the brink of major policy changes and leadership transitions, Alison emphasizes the strategic importance of maintaining a robust dialogue to ensure the continent's competitiveness in the global electronics market. Her insights offer a nuanced look at the complexities of working within the EU's multifaceted structure.
This episode navigates the geopolitical currents steering the electronics trade, highlighting the shifts toward protectionism and their implications. A memorable quote from Emmanuel Macron serves as a metaphor for Europe's evolving trade strategy, underscoring the necessity for strategic self-reliance. The conversation underscores IPC's multifaceted approach—balancing global initiatives with local application—to tackle challenges head-on. Join us to uncover how these efforts are paving the way for a resilient and thriving European electronics ecosystem.
EMS@C-Level at electronica 2024 was hosted by IPC (https://www.ipc.org/)
EMS@C-Level is hosted by global inspection leaders Koh Young (https://www.kohyoung.com) and Global Electronics Association (https://www.electronics.org)
You can see video versions of all of the EMS@C-Level pods on our YouTube playlist.
Hello , I'm Philip Stoughton . I am at Electronica 2024 and I'm on the IPC booth .
Speaker 2I'm joined by Alison James .
Speaker 1Alison , great work that you're doing in Brussels at the moment . Congratulations for having someone from the EU actually show up and talk to everybody on the booth on Tuesday . Tell me a little bit about the background to that and what they were talking about specifically on that .
Speaker 2Okay , so first of all , we've been working a lot with the European Commission over the past years , as you know , to explain the ecosystem and the importance of the ecosystem . We've already had a lot of understanding , I think , from the European Commission and specifically also the industry part of the .
Speaker 2European Commission and a year ago we had an electronic stakeholder dialogue with the European Commission . So the call to action that we've issued is really a follow-up to that electronic stakeholder dialogue . The European Commission very kindly , eg Grow came here to speak with the industry and hear more about the concerns and that was really the dialogue , the listening to , understanding more about the industry . We were very happy to have them here and it's very important that we continue the dialogue between the electronics industry and the European institutions and I think that was really the takeaway is that you know the dialogue is there .
Speaker 2They want to continue dialogue and also that understanding , which is what we've all been talking about that it's an ecosystem , it's a value chain . So you have to know how it all fits together and how the whole industry can be competitive .
Speaker 1Yeah , and where the weak links in the chain are and where the critical parts are . And what I thought was really interesting and maybe something that we haven't seen before we've had lots of panels of the industry discussing this to have someone from the European Union actually gave us a bit more insight into how their processes work and kind of reminded us that it's not a single government that we're dealing with . It's a group of states that all have to be convinced and all have to work together .
Speaker 2They do . I mean , the European Union is very , very complex . Not only that , but we're at a key time when everything is changing At the state level . You've got new governments At the European Commission , we've got the new European Commission coming in in the next five years , so it's really now the key time when they're deciding what's happening over the next period . But Europe is complex . It's a mixture of local , national , brussels level and it all really has to drive in the same direction .
Speaker 2I don't know if people had a chance to read the Draghi report recently on competitiveness . He's pinpointing what we've been talking about .
Speaker 1That you really need a strategy at European level .
Speaker 2You need everyone working together . This is our priority , and electronics manufacturing should be a key priority for the European Union . But you need everyone pointing in the same direction on what you need to build up and helping the industry be competitive .
Speaker 1Yeah , and that's great work you're doing there . I actually spoke to Chris Mitchell earlier this week and we were talking about , obviously , the geopolitical shifts we're seeing in the world , perhaps a trend to more protectionism , which is not necessarily a good thing , but an interesting thing , and it really impacts the way you guys work . And I think what's really valuable is the IPC works very much locally as well as globally , so as much as there are global initiatives , you have to apply them completely differently what they're doing in Washington , what you're doing in Brussels is a very different process .
Speaker 2It's a very different process because inherently , the European Union is so different to the US and also we're coming from a . Also we're coming from a different culture in the European Union . You talked a little bit about protectionism . We had a quote from Emmanuel Macron fairly recently . He said that we cannot any longer , as a European Union , be herbivores when we're surrounded by carnivores and we need to be omnivores . And that's a little bit where we're coming from in Europe . The region has always been the good student of international trade and will continue to be , it's very open to trade and export markets are extremely important to European export .
Speaker 2That all remains . But nonetheless , in every region , you have to make sure that you have access to what you need for your key industries and also that your industries are being competitive , and that's the discussion that's taking place now . So , electronics are everywhere . It's the driver for growth , and that's really what we have to understand . What is it that we need and how can we build our industries ?
Speaker 1Yeah , no , it's fascinating , and you can always rely on Emmanuel Macron for a really good soundbite .
Speaker 1He does those very , very well when you look at what we're talking about in terms of the whole value chain for electronics and actually promoting the critical nature of each part of it to the European Union . The interesting thing is , IPC has members in each of those areas , so you're able to synthesize that story yourself . But there are also a number of different voices that perhaps have slightly different agendas . Also a number of different voices that perhaps have slightly different agendas . How do you make sure you're harmonizing their opinions when you're delivering it ? Because the EMS guys want slightly different things to the PCB guys , pcb guys , maybe want different things to the semiconductor manufacturers ?
Speaker 1How do you make sure you're getting a message that is comprehensible for politicians , but also one that's going to actually deliver to most of that ?
Speaker 2value chain . You know , that's really the key to European Affairs and to being a trade association , which is a lot of negotiation , a lot of discussions with organizations , but that's what the call to action is about . So , if people have a chance to read the call to action , it's about making sure that we have a cross function , that we're building towards a cross functional industry electronics ecosystem that's capable of meeting Europe's critical needs at a time of geopolitical change .
Speaker 2So that means that you need to have a minimum autonomy threshold of critical electronics supply and manufacturing and that's really traversing silicon to NCC . So it's a way of explaining that we need to have , we need to be able to build up for our security , for our defense , for our digital and our green transition , that the whole ecosystem can be involved in that , so a lot of negotiation . The call to action if anybody has a chance to have a look at that , it's been signed and endorsed by associations and companies across the European .
Speaker 2Union . So we do have a platform . Everybody stands behind it , and that is let's make sure that we have a competitive industry and , most of all , we're calling for an electronics manufacturing strategy at the EU level . So that means a lot more discussion . It means a lot more work needs to be done to point in the same direction . And it has to be a priority .
Speaker 1Yeah Well , alison , you're doing amazing work . It's really important for the industry to be able to have someone that can harmonize those voices and deliver that message and speak the language of the politicians and , in return , deliver the message of the politicians back to the industry . So I know the industry appreciates the work you're doing . I appreciate your time today . Thanks for coming by . Thank you very much , phil .