Chris Mitchell
Vice President, Global Government Relations

The Headlines at a Glance: 

TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK 

• 2023 Was a Landmark Year for IPC in Government Policy

QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

• IPC Europe’s Philippe Leonard on the “Silicon-to-Systems” Perspective

EUROPEAN UNION

• IPC EMS Day Eyes Challenges and Opportunities in Europe
• IPC Continues Push to Reduce Reporting Burden for EU Manufacturers

UNITED STATES

• IPC Applauds Committee Passage of Workforce Development Bills
• Seven Companies Awarded $10M in Inaugural DBX Program

TRADE AND SUPPLY CHAIN

• North American PCB Industry Shipments Down 22.5 Percent in November

ENVIRONMENT AND HEATH

• Advancements on New Requirements to Protect Human Rights and the Environment
• EU Maintains Status Quo on Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive

UPCOMING EVENTS

• IPC WinterCom 2024, Jan. 22-25
• WHMA Global Leadership Summit, Feb. 13-15
• IPC APEX EXPO 2024, April 6-11

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TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK

2023 Was a Landmark Year for IPC in Government Policy: In the spirit of reflecting on the year just passed and looking ahead to the new year, we think 2023 was one of IPC’s most successful years ever in terms of having a positive impact in the halls of government. Government bodies in the U.S. and Europe responded to our call for a “silicon-to-systems” approach to supporting the electronics sector, and numerous IPC members launched new investments in advanced technologies. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) approved IPC’s National Program Standards of Apprenticeship. And IPC led the way on understanding the sustainability challenges facing our sector. Read more on the IPC Blog. IPC contact: Chris Mitchell.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The issue is that policymakers don’t always know the details of what electronics manufacturing is about. They know electronics. They know computers. They know chips. But they don’t know the whole ecosystem. So, it’s our job to raise the flag and spread the word that what matters is more than chips; if you only have silicon, you have nothing. You cannot get silicon to work if you don’t have the whole ecosystem around it.” – Philippe Leonard, Senior Director of IPC Europe, discussing the “silicon to systems” perspective in PCB007 Magazine.

EUROPEAN UNION

IPC EMS Day Eyes Challenges and Opportunities in Europe: The recent IPC EMS Day in Tallinn, Estonia attracted more than 200 attendees this year. Tiit Riisalo, the Minister of Economic Affairs & Tourism, highlighted the challenges faced by the electronics industry, emphasizing the importance of environmental commitment and addressing uncertainties such as the Ukraine war. Among other topics, the conference discussed technical challenges, the need for European independence in infrastructure and EVs, and the EU Chips Act. The event concluded with a panel discussion on the feasibility of bringing PCB manufacturing back to Europe, considering environmental regulations, human capital, and raw material constraints. The consensus highlighted the necessity for a sustainable end-to-end supply chain to meet Europe's electronics infrastructure needs. You can read about the event in the latest edition of Global SMT & Packaging. IPC contact: Philippe Leonard.

IPC Continues Push to Reduce Reporting Burden for EU Manufacturers: IPC this month reiterated the importance of reducing reporting burdens on electronics manufacturers in the European Union. The statement followed IPC’s submission of feedback to the European Commission’s Industrial Forum last spring, which responded to the European Commission’s call for evidence on the EU reporting requirements that cause the most administrative burden. IPC will continue to engage with the European Commission to support its goal to reduce reporting requirements by 25%. IPC contact: Alison James.

UNITED STATES

IPC Applauds Committee Passage of Workforce Development Bills: A U.S. House committee recently approved two bills that would help alleviate the workforce skills gap challenging electronics manufacturers. The Stronger Workforce for America Act (H.R. 6655) and the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act (H.R. 6858) seek to bridge the skills gap by, among other mechanisms, providing funding for adults and dislocated workers for skills development, and allocating Pell Grants to be used for training that leads to industry credentialling. Despite adding more than 75,000 jobs over the last five years, the electronics industry continues to face steep challenges in finding skilled workers. IPC will continue to monitor the bills’ progress through the House and will advocate for similar legislation the Senate. IPC contact: Rich Cappetto.

Seven Companies Awarded $10M in Inaugural DBX Program: The U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics (USPAE), an IPC subsidiary, selected seven companies out of 25 finalists to receive a combined $10 million for research and development of commercial technologies with defense capabilities. The inaugural Defense Business Accelerator (DBX) Microelectronics Challenge was launched as a partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense. Its goal is to determine whether the DoD can accelerate growth of a robust domestic industrial base by focusing on the commercialization of early-stage, hardware-intensive technologies with dual use for national security and then scaling them into resilient businesses. USPAE received 279 submissions, and the awardees were chosen through a juried event at the Defense TechConnect Innovation Summit on Nov. 28. USPAE contact: Nathan Edwards.

TRADE AND SUPPLY CHAIN

North American PCB Industry Shipments Down 22.5 Percent in November: The North American Printed Circuit Board industry experienced a significant downturn in November 2023, according to the latest data released by IPC. Shipments in the sector plummeted by 22.5% compared to the same month in the previous year, with a month-on-month decline of 16.3%. Bookings also fell, dropping 9.2% year-on-year and 9% from the preceding month. IPC Chief Economist Shawn DuBravac says the results suggest a subdued end to the year, with shipments being 5% lower than expected and the year-to-date trend reaching its lowest point. IPC contact: Shawn DuBravac.

ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH

Advancements on New Requirements to Protect Human Rights and the Environment: The European Union has taken another step in the sphere of human rights and environmental protection. The European Parliament, together with the Council of the EU, has provisionally agreed on the definitive wording of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D). This landmark agreement is on track to be formally adopted in early 2024, after which EU Member States will have a two-year period to adopt the provisions in national legislation. The directive introduces rigorous obligations for companies to actively engage in identifying, forestalling, diminishing, and rectifying both direct and potential adverse effects on human rights and the environment that may stem from their own activities, those of their subsidiaries, or those that occur within their entire value chain. IPC contact: Kelly Scanlon.

IPC WinterCom 2024: Barcelona, Spain, Jan. 22-25. A new event to support IPC standards development committees in face-to-face sessions, WinterCom 2024 will convene colleagues from around the globe for a week of meetings. The event is free to both IPC members and non-members with an interest in IPC standards development. Register today!

WHMA Annual Global Leadership Summit: Myrtle Beach, S.C., Feb. 13-15. Formerly the WHMA Annual Conference, the WHMA's Annual Global Leadership Summit is a networking event for executives representing wire harness manufacturers, OEMs, and suppliers for companies that build wiring harnesses and cable assemblies. Register today!

IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Anaheim, Calif., April 6-11. The largest electronics manufacturing event in North America, APEX features the newest innovations and the best minds in the industry. APEX 2024 will also host the Electronic Circuits World Convention 16, an international PCB symposium held every three years, featuring the latest information on global PCB demand, PCB manufacturing processes, and promoting the domestic PCB industry in every country and every region. Register by March 1 for a 20% discount!

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Stating that “The year-to-date trend fell to its lowest point of the year,” Shawn DuBravac, Ph.D., IPC chief economist, commented on IPC’s North American PCB Statistical Program, showing shipments down by 22.5 percent compared to Nov. 2022. DuBravac noted: “PCB shipments were roughly five percent below our expectations for the month. Weak order flow in November suggests the year will likely end on a flat note.”		“The United States used to be great; and mostly thinks it still is.” That's one of important assessments of ITIF's new Hamilton Index of strategically important advanced manufacturing sectors. The report warns that time is running out for an "industrial comeback." The challenges in the U.S. electronics industry are actually far more dire than the report suggests. Key segments of the industry have eroded over the last 30 years, putting the U.S. in the unenviable position of being able to design technologies it either can't build or can't build at scale.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US 

Meet the IPC GR Team: Whether it is engaging with policymakers in the Americas, the European Union, or Asia, the IPC Government Relations (GR) Team proactively seeks opportunities to educate, inform and influence policymakers on policies that spur innovation, growth and competition, while protecting human health and the environment. But our success depends on your support and engagement. Learn more and get involved in IPC advocacy today! IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.   

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