History of IPC's Name

In 1999, IPC changed its name from Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits to IPC. Our name is accompanied by an identity statement, Association Connecting Electronics Industries.

IPC was founded in 1957 as the Institute for Printed Circuits. As more electronics assembly companies became involved with the association, the name was changed to the Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits. By the 1990s, most people in the industry could not remember the full name and/or didn't agree on what the words in the name meant.

Members expressed overwhelming approval for keeping the initials IPC. Research indicated that there was no one word or expression that adequately describes IPC's constituency - OEMs, board manufacturers, electronics manufacturing services companies and their suppliers. To avoid another awkward name or a name that excludes any of our members, the IPC Board of Directors agreed to make IPC the formal name of the organization.

Our board selected "Association Connecting Electronics Industries" as the perfect complement to our name because it expresses IPC's mission of networking and technical exchange as well as emphasizing the importance of the printed circuit board.