"Uniting cultures"
"Uniting cultures"
Keywords: PCIF, FEI
Here at the PCIF we are aware of a new and exciting dawn as we move inexorably towards the proposed merger with the FEI, the much larger Federation of Electronics Industries.
The proposal for the merger or affiliation has been discussed for many months and was voted through unanimously at the PCIF's AGM on 18 October 2000 and also by the FEI at their AGM on 8 November 2000.
The official time of the merger was 1 January 2001 and press releases were put out to that effect by the FEI. It was announced in the Electronics Times.
In the meantime the PCIF have arranged to shed their offices in Docklands,near Canary Wharf in London; these were expensive and the rent was forever rising. A move was made into spare space within the FEI's headquarters in Russell Square, London. That move occurred on 6 November.
It has to be said that the FEI have made our small team extremely welcome with a dedicated space where we can continue to work closely together as before. Nothing has been too much trouble and already we are being involved in appropriate meetings to learn where common ground and benefits can accrue. We are assured of our independence and the retention of our identity. The future looks very bright and exciting times are ahead for the staff, for the Federation and its members. Watch this space!
We have mapped out our programme for next year fitting into the web of the industry's diary. Our new attitude prevails where we provide events and services that are tuned to each group by listening to the membership. We are nothing if not flexible!
Recently in October we had a very successful Annual Conference, entitled"Complete Electronic Packaging Solutions" held in Coventry. David Pratt,our acting Chairman, opened the proceedings by introducing Mike Short, the Director of Strategy and International Affairs for BT Cellnet and an FEI Board member, who then gave a rousing keynote speech about the mobile market developments to set the tone for the day. This was ably followed by Neill Irwin of the CBI with his "Vision to 2010", which stressed the need for true meaningful partnerships in supply chains and then eight other papers unfolded throughout the day to cover a wide range of interests. The PCIF's AGM followed the Conference and the day was seen out with a splendid Gala Dinner with many guests including John Park, Deputy Director-General of the FEI, who gave a warm speech to emphasise the true spirit of cooperation that exists between the two organisations.
Another example of our successful programme was a workshop held on 14 November and dedicated to the "Laminate Supply Chain" which is causing headaches in the industry. About 40 people took part and speakers such as Robert Busch, Director of Hexcel-Genin, the glass-weaving company, gave important background information to the fraught supply chain, which is so dependent on raw materials like yarn. Furnaces for producing yarn in this industry may cost in the order of $100 million and take at least 18 months to erect; they also have a limited life. If therefore the investment timing is not distinctly in precise tune with the market then hiccups occur. Both BPA's Mike Campbell and Future Horizon's Malcom Penn explained the cyclical nature of the market, Mike for printed circuit boards and Malcom for the semiconductor sector. This helped to highlight that it is extremely difficult to predict precisely when cycles will start and finish. The amplitudes of the cycles were seen to be much smaller in Japan, assisted by the vertical nature of the structures there but also because they have learned how to implement really meaningful partnerships. This word keeps coming up as the culture change that companies and people must adopt to survive in the global arena. Four laminators, Isola, Nelco, Polyclad and Nanya,sat on a panel and gave their view of the market and how next year's raw material contracts were being forged. If growth of more than 15 per cent occurs in 2001 in the UK then reliable supplies would be difficult to provide.
Business is brisk in the UK's Interconnection market for designers,fabricators, contract manufacturers and for the suppliers to these sectors. However, there is concern over the possible effect of factors in the USA. No one can be impervious to the débâcle of the USA presidential election. It is worrying that that great democracy is experiencing confusion and lack of speed and clarity for a result. The new president will have the twin handicaps of a lack of authority and also the long drawn out debates over his election. There could also be justification for expecting a downturn in the US economy. The Nasdaq is about the 3,000 mark, the oil barrel price seems to have hovered above the $30 level despite all the efforts to stave off rises and next year's balance of payments may reach near $500 billion. All these points may influence the way forward. However, there are ample precedents of the USA finding ingenious and effective ways out of crisis. I have every faith in them.
So there we have it, "Uniting Cultures" in Federations, in supply chains and between countries, which straddle our planet-wide industry.
Frank CoultardPCIF
