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52 SMT007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2026 PEDC: Built for the Design Community by the Design Community 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. 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 Euro- pean 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 excel- lence. PEDC was designed to be non-commercial, with sales activity clearly separated from the techni- cal 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 responsibil- ity to be visible from a technical perspective. As the voice of the European EMS and PCB industries and a BY PETER TRANITZ, GLOBAL ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION trusted partner to policymakers, we want to be recog- nized not only for advocacy but also for technical lead- ership and high-quality content. PEDC is a natural extension of that role. Day 1 included keynote presentations from Tomide Adesanmi, Circuit Mind, UK; Alexander Gerfer, Würth Elektronik eiSos, Germany; Simon Seereiner, Weidmül- ler 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 devel- opment, 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 compli- ance and cost to manufacturing and assembly reflected the real, practical challenges design teams across Europe face. These discussions were grounded, honest, and relevant. Peter Tranitz is senior direc- tor of technology solutions in Europe. The original blog post can be found here. Conclusion We know that sustainability is important to our industry. While we welcome this simplification initia- tive in reporting burden, a certain legal uncertainty remains on the path to its effective implementation. We continue to monitor omnibus developments and to inform our members in the EU and beyond of changes in sustainability reporting requirements and their impact on business. SMT007 Dr. Diana Radovan is director of sustainability policy for the Global Electronics Association. Contact her at DianaRadovan@electronics.org to receive future updates on this important policy. Please check the Association's blog for the latest information on omnibus developments.