# Inside IPC: Europe is Racing to Build Defense Autonomy with Alison James

- Show: [EMS@C-LEVEL](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level)
- Published: 2025-04-02
- Length: 11m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-02-inside-ipc-europe-is-racing-to-build-defense-autonomy-with-alison-james

## Summary

Alison James, Senior Director Europe, Government Relations at IPC, discusses a 'sea change' in European defense policy, driven by modified EU debt ceiling rules that create fiscal space for increased defense spending. She highlights IPC's recent report, developed with French consultancy Décision, which projects electronics will comprise 25% of defense system value by 2035, necessitating a 'minimum autonomy threshold' for the European electronics industrial base. James addresses the planning anxiety caused by US tariff uncertainty, noting that while European defense procurement is accelerating, businesses require regulatory certainty to adjust supply chains effectively. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding the 'silicon system' beneath technologies like AI and maintaining strong coalitions across the European electronics ecosystem to advocate for technological sovereignty.

## Chapters

- [0:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-02-inside-ipc-europe-is-racing-to-build-defense-autonomy-with-alison-james#t=8) Introduction: Philip Stoten and Alison James at APEX
- [0:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-02-inside-ipc-europe-is-racing-to-build-defense-autonomy-with-alison-james#t=48) EU Debt Ceiling Changes and Defense Fiscal Space
- [3:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-02-inside-ipc-europe-is-racing-to-build-defense-autonomy-with-alison-james#t=181) IPC Report: Electronics in Defense Systems by 2035
- [4:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-02-inside-ipc-europe-is-racing-to-build-defense-autonomy-with-alison-james#t=268) Speed of European Defense Procurement and Chips Act Precedent
- [5:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-02-inside-ipc-europe-is-racing-to-build-defense-autonomy-with-alison-james#t=330) EMS Industry Exposure and Tariff Uncertainty
- [6:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-02-inside-ipc-europe-is-racing-to-build-defense-autonomy-with-alison-james#t=413) EU Tariff Negotiations and Member State Agendas
- [8:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-02-inside-ipc-europe-is-racing-to-build-defense-autonomy-with-alison-james#t=485) IPC Government Relations and Technological Sovereignty
- [9:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-02-inside-ipc-europe-is-racing-to-build-defense-autonomy-with-alison-james#t=565) The Silicon System and AI Hardware Vulnerabilities

## Topics

- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- IPC (company)
- Koh Young (company)
- Creative Electron (company)
- Décision (company)
- European Chips Act (other)

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- [World Trade Futurity (WTF)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-11-11-world-trade-futurity-wtf) (The Amp Hour)
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## Citing this page

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