IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1546580
34 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2026 European PCB industry. 1 It warned that Europe's PCB industry had declined sharply, and manufac- turing capacity and its supporting materials supply chain were shifting to Asia. This growing depen- dence, combined with high energy costs and limited domestic capacity, posed increasing risks to Europe's industrial, aerospace, and defense sectors. The report stated that in 2000, Europe accounted for about 16% of worldwide PCB production. By 2022, that share had fallen to just 2.3%, while the number of European PCB manufacturers dropped from 555 to fewer than 200. This decline reflects a broader trend across several key industries in Europe, the United States, and elsewhere, where significant portions of manu- facturing have shifted overseas. Those are not small changes. EIPC reported that Europe's share of global PCB production fell by roughly 86%, while more than 60% of its PCB manufacturers disap- peared, consolidated, or left the market entirely. But although the industry in Europe shifted, it didn't stop designing electronics. Far from it. Europe has remained a major force in automotive, aerospace, industrial electronics, medical systems, telecommu- nications, defense, and advanced technology. True, the manufacturing footprint may have shrunk, but the engineering capability remained. So, why would I be bold enough to say we are awakening a giant? Because I've been personally involved with the European PCB design community for the past 10 years. It started with productronica, the Altium Live conferences, and now the Pan-Euro- pean Electronic Design Conference (PEDC). I've interacted with FED, TechWorks, and IMEC, and as a technical advisor to the Delft Hyperloop team in the Netherlands. Along the way, I've met many great designers, fabricators, suppliers, and engineers. It's always been obvious that Europe has the expertise. There are world-class engineers, strong universities, major technology companies, and some of the most demanding electronics industries. The chal- lenge, as in the United States, is ensuring there are enough skilled designers to carry the work forward. Another challenge is how that talent is organized. For years, much of Europe's PCB design strength existed in separate regional pockets. For example: • Germany developed deep proficiency in automotive, industrial electronics, and manu- facturing • France built strength in aerospace, defense, and telecommunications • The UK developed strong semiconductor, embedded-system, and hardware-design communities • Scandinavia became closely associated with communications, wireless technology, and advanced electronics • The Benelux region built a powerful semicon- ductor, research, and technology ecosystem • Italy and Central and Eastern Europe con- tinued to build strong PCB and electronics manufacturing capabilities of their own Different languages, national organizations, conferences, industries, and engineering cultures E L E M E N TA RY, M R . WATS O N " The giant is not being created; it is waking up. As Europe's designers begin to connect, collaborate, and recognize their collective strength, we may be seeing only the beginning of what this community can become."