Köln, Germany—The EPC Show 2004, which concluded after three days at the Köln Messe, proved to be a time for regrouping for most involved. While a quality conference program was complemented by relatively small exhibition and a renewal of old relationships, how good the show was depended on whom you asked.

One thing was clear: both attendee and exhibitor participation was down from 2002. Though some felt an attendance decline was to be expected amid the continued struggles of European fabricators, others felt a lack of supplier support hurt this year’s exhibition effort. Many notable European suppliers chose not to exhibit at the show.

Not only did their absence cause some attendees to stay home, it caused those who did attend to question their commitment to the European industry. Graphic plc owner Rex Rozario was one of those who wondered why more of his prospective suppliers had no stands for him to visit. “I’m a bit disappointed. The EIPC is trying to promote Europe. If more suppliers came, maybe we’d have more people here,” he said pointing to the nearly empty aisle behind him. “They could have at least taken a small stand.” Rozario noted that one supplier, PAL Europe and M&B Plating had the right idea. The two suppliers shared space, while PAL showed a model of its latest line—a reasonable compromise in Rozario’s mind.

Rozario also wondered why more of his fellow manufacturers chose not to attend. “I had my managing director and technical director here. There was some very good new technology exhibited.” Rozario cited legend printing as a new technology he’d be spending money on “within the next few weeks.”

Pola & Massa’s Giorgio Ciotti agreed with Rozario, saying three days at the show helped him “understand where the market’s going.” It certainly seemed a tale of two Europes: those who believe the market is dying and those who see it as a key focal point for their business. Mania’s Stuart Hayton is among those who believes Europe is stronger market than it might seem. “We’ve sold half our AOI machines into Europe this year. It’s an important market.” Hayton was troubled by fellow suppliers who chose not to exhibit. “We’ve done well here. I’m disappointed that our competitors aren’t here. [Fabricators] need to see that the European supplier base is dedicated to the market.”

DuPont Printed Circuit Materials (PCM) also strengthened its European regional operations by signing an agreement with Wrapid Manufacturing Ltd. in England to manage the finishing of DuPont Riston® dry film photoresist and DuPont Vacrel® solder mask master rolls into customer-specific sizes, to package products and ship to customers across Europe, the Mid East and Africa. “Over the last year we have seen the PCB industry stabilize in Europe, and we have made significant changes to our business model to suit the market conditions,” said Darren L. Haar, Americas and European business manager, DuPont PCM.

In the end, as is the case with most exhibitions, success is measured by what is learned and what is sold. Automa-Tech’s Frederic Baradel said he took time at the show to finalize an exposure unit sale with French fabricator Cire that his company had been working on for quite some time. Rather than choosing a lower cost Asian machine, Baradel explained that Cire chose his company because “their first choice was for a European supplier because they are concerned” about both service and the proximity of their suppliers.

Gala Speaker Issues Call to Arms

The entire EIPC Show 2004 might have been summed up at the opening night reception. CCI Eurolam’s Bernard Bismuth, who also serves as president of the French PCB trade association GFIE, called upon his European counterparts to defend the future of “an electronics industry in danger.”

Using the French industry as a microcosm of Europe, Bismuth cited the disappearance of major government infrastructure contracts, aborted industrial policy, beleagured defense budgets and a lack of R&D funding as major issues that government must address. He believes that governments must recognize that they must either give up on electronics industry manufacturing jobs—including those that still remain today—or respond to the grim reality that European electronics manufacturers must have supportive governments in order to remain competitive with Asian countries already enjoying.

Inn the case of the French government, it realized that its decimated electronics industry is worth fighting for, and it is implementing a series of programs aimed at restoring French leadership. These programs focus on eight different end markets: high-speed Internet, high-definition television (HDTV), automotive electronics, homeland security, digital identification, home automation and energy efficiency, medical instrumentation and microelectronics. The common thread is that all end markets offer a measurable return on investment and a visible impact on both French society and industry.

“We have to fight to keep the electronics industry in Europe,” said Bismuth during his impassioned plea for European unification. The options, he said, are “doing nothing and giving up our jobs or develop a winning strategy.” Bismuth urged all European nations to join in developing this electronics industry renewal strategy. He added, “Everything we say here is also true for [the] U.S.”