IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
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82 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2026 T he IPC Designers Council France has near- ly doubled its reach since I-Connect007 last reached out to Thomas Romont, a man- ager at WWEC who leads the council. But growth is only part of the story. Through working groups, practical design tools, and an annual conference, the council is creating opportunities for designers, engineers, fabricators, EMS providers, and other stakeholders to solve problems together. Thomas explains how the group is addressing gaps in de- sign guidance, improving communication between design and manufacturing, and encouraging the kind of collaboration increasingly required across the electronics industry. Marcy LaRont: Thomas, it's been a couple of years since we last caught up with you and the IPC Designers Council France. Bring us up to date. Thomas Romont: When we last spoke, about 250 people were involved in the council, representing not only PCB design but also electrical engineer- ing, CAD, PCB fabrication, EMS, and OEMs. Today, nearly 500 people follow our work, but the origins of the council go back 10 years. Breaking Down the Barriers Between Design and Manufacturing in France BY M A RCY L A RO N T, I - C O N N ECT 0 07 F O C U S O N E U RO P E