What is IPC?

What is IPC?

IPC is a global industry organization based in Chicago, USA. It started back in 1957 as the "Institute of Printed Circuits," or simply IPC. As the industry grew and the organization expanded its role, the name later changed to "Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits."

In June 2025, IPC officially chnaged its name to: Global Electronics Association. The board approved the change, noting that the old name no longer captured the full scope of what the organization does today.[1]

History of IPC

The history of IPC dates back to the 1950s, when a group of printed circuit board manufacturers came together to exchange information and solve problems related to electronics manufacturing. In 1957, they formally established the Association Connecting Electronics Industries. The organization grew in importance as electronics technology evolved, and its standards and specifications became essential for maintaining the quality and consistency of electronics manufacturing worldwide.

In June 2025, IPC officially chnaged its name to: Global Electronics Association to better reflect the wide scope of its activities.[1]

What does IPC do?

IPC (IPC International, Inc.) is an international industry organization based in Chicago, USA. It was founded in 1957 under the name "Institute of Printed Circuits"

Influenced by its rapid growth in the following years, the organization's name was finally changed to "Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits".

IPC's goal is to promote the development of the electronics industry by:

• Standards. The members of the organization create standards, starting from product design, DFX, DFM, DFA, DFT recommendations, through manufacturing and testing processes, ending with rework, repair and modification procedures. The IPC organization offers IPC standards translated into other languages.
• Education. The organization offers certified courses for selected standards such as IPC-A-610, IPC-A-600, IPC/WHMA-A-620, IPC-7711/7721 (rework, repair), etc.
• Advocate for the industry. Represent the interests of the electronics industry in the EU Parliament, the US Senate and other countries.
• Market research. Regular market research and presentation of results in the form of reports, allowing to know the trends in the industry.

More information

You can read more about the GEA, its mission, and vision in our article IPC: Global Electronics Association.
Of course, we also recommend visiting the organization's official website at: www.electronics.org.