Key Summary
- Electronics Day EMS Europe takes place in Paris on 17 September under the theme “Europe Electronics Gaining Momentum.”
- The event will spotlight Europe’s EMS, PCB, policy, and AI infrastructure opportunities.
- Sessions will focus on resilience, reshoring, consolidation, competitiveness, and supply-chain strategy.
- Senior industry and policy leaders will discuss how Europe can turn momentum into long-term growth.
By Philip Stoten, journalist, speaker and host specialising in the global electronics manufacturing services industry
There are moments when an industry stops reacting and starts shaping its own future. For European electronics, that moment comes to Paris on 17 September, with Electronics Day EMS Europe, a full day dedicated to the businesses, the people and the policies driving European electronics manufacturing forward. The theme says it all: Europe Electronics Gaining Momentum.
The agenda captures the full sweep of the industry. Across four sessions, the day moves from advocacy and policy, through the state of the EMS market, into the AI infrastructure boom, and finally to the future of European PCB. It is, in effect, the whole value chain and the whole conversation, in a single room, in a single day. Each session will be moderated by Philip Stoten of Scoop.
The day opens with advocacy. Following the Association's Alison James, a panel with Peter Nilsson of Kitron, Stéphane Klajzyngier of All Circuits, Eric de Ponthaud of CSI-Cimulec and Raquel Rodriguez of Insyte tackles the question that underpins everything else: what does a resilient European electronics ecosystem actually require, in real strategies, real investment and real policy? This is where political ambition meets shop-floor reality.
The focus then turns to the EMS market. After a scene-setter from Alex Fey of Roland Berger, a panel with Alexander Hageman of Cicor, Bo Lybaek of GPV International, Nicolas Denis of Asteelflash and Bruno Picquart of Agon Electronics Group offers an honest, clear-eyed read on where European EMS stands: softening demand in places, genuine reshoring tailwinds in others, relentless pricing pressure, and a map being redrawn by consolidation in real time.
After lunch, the agenda looks to the future. AI infrastructure is reshaping electronics faster than almost anything before it, and the servers, power systems and boards behind the boom have to be built somewhere. Following Léo Saint Martin of Décision Etudes & Conseils, the AI panel asks where Europe fits and who captures the value. It may be the most future-facing conversation of the day.
The afternoon brings a moment that will stay with everyone in the room: the story of the burn-down and rebuilding of CSI-Cimulec in Toulouse, introduced by Eric de Ponthaud. It is a powerful reminder that resilience is not a slogan, but what an industry does when it refuses to give up.
The sessions close with PCB, and a provocative question: is the European PCB industry genuinely bouncing back, or is what looks like recovery really consolidation in disguise? Following Michiel Op den Camp of NCAB, a panel featuring leaders from TTM, Ilfa, Elvia Group, Varioprint, Somacis, ACB Group and Eurocircuits addresses it directly, with several live consolidation stories sitting right there on the stage.
To bring it all together, Sylvain Maillard, Member of the French Parliament and CEO of Alantys, will speak on how industry should address policymakers, before a closing wrap-up. The closing session is also joined by senior figures from FDeF, Lacroix Electronics and the Global Electronics Association.
The calibre of the participants, the honesty of the conversations and the sense that European electronics is at a turning point make this a day of real questions, real leaders and real momentum, not comfortable generalities.
For everyone who cares about the future of European electronics, Paris on 17 September is the place to be.
More information on Electronics Day EMS Europe.
Philip Stoten is a journalist, speaker and host specialising in the global electronics manufacturing services industry. He hosts the EMS@C-Level, MADE IN EUROPE and EMS India podcasts.
