IPC Rebrands As Global Electronics Association, Reflecting Industry Evolution
KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 (Bernama) -- IPC has officially rebranded itself as the Global Electronics Association, marking a significant milestone in its evolution as the global voice of the electronics industry.
Guided by the vision of "Better electronics for a better world", the association is focused on enhancing supply chain resilience and accelerating growth through engagement with more than 3,000 member companies, thousands of partners, and numerous governments worldwide.
Under its renewed mission, the association will increase resources to support advocacy, provide deeper industry insights, and enhance stakeholder communications.
Its President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr John W. Mitchell said the electronics supply chain is now essential to all sectors of the global economy.
“Our new mission positions us to engage more deeply with our members and global partners to advocate for the importance of electronics in today’s evolving world,” he said in a statement.
Despite the rebranding, the IPC brand will be retained for standards and certification programmes. Its education arm, formerly the IPC Education Foundation, will now be known as the Electronics Foundation, maintaining its focus on talent development in the industry.
Coinciding with the rebrand, the association also released a global trade flows study, revealing that electronics currently accounted for more than US$1 in every US$5 of global merchandise trade. (US$1=RM4.24)
The study found that the electronics supply chain is now more globally integrated than any other sector, even surpassing the automotive industry in terms of cross-border complexity.
Trade in components such as semiconductors and connectors has exceeded trade in finished goods like smartphones and laptops. In 2023, global electronics trade totalled US$4.5 trillion, including US$2.5 trillion from components alone.
The report also highlighted that leading exporters, including China, Vietnam, and India, are simultaneously among the fastest-growing importers of electronic components, indicating a high level of mutual dependence in global electronics manufacturing.
This interdependence challenges the practicality of reshoring or decoupling strategies, as these economies rely heavily on international component flows.
-- BERNAMA