IECEP confab to focus on professional growth, ICT trends

MANILA, Philippines - The global economy’s gradually recovering from the credit crunch of the previous years has led to many business opportunities and innovations in various industries, particularly in the electronics and communications sector as well as in information technology.

Following global trends, the Institute of Electronics and Communications Engineers of the Philippines (IECEP) is gearing up for the global uptake in the demand for new products and services from the electronics industry.

The organization is girding for its 60th anniversary with its annual IECEP convention, this time focusing on continuing education for the country’s engineers.

The IECEP’s International Electronics Conference and Exposition 2010 will be held on Dec. 7 to 9 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

It will highlight the latest electronics innovations in various vertical industries, including information and communications technology (ICT), security and defense, power and energy, broadcast and communications, and semiconductor and computers.

Several of the presentations during the event will focus on ICT-enabled services in different industries, such as telepresence, mobile communications, digital TV, hybrid technology, fuel cells, and “smart” grid computing. There will also be tracks on green energy revolution.

IECEP convention chairman Ted Buenavista said the event will also focus on building partnerships between academic institutions and industries that require electronics engineering professionals.

Buenavista also stressed the need for the country’s electronics engineers to better prepare themselves with the latest knowledge on their chosen fields to help address the needs of their respective industries.

In particular, he said IECEP members have been requesting further education to add up to their Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits, which boost their chances to renew their professional license.

“This convention is by far our most extensive as we will cover topics on a variety of industry issues as well as build lasting relationships with colleges and universities. In addition, there are more technologies on display and on demonstration to show what our Filipino engineers can utilize upon their return to their respective industries,” he said.

For his part, IECEP president Ornan Vicente emphasized the country’s ICT sector, which has shown continuous growth in the past years despite the global economic crunch.

He said the ICT industry needs skilled electronics engineers who build the necessary components from the ground up.

Vicente also said that they will reinforce their support for Republic Act 9292, or the Electronics and Communications Engineering Act of the Philippines.

This law, along with Republic Act 8792 or the E-Commerce Act, can be vehicles for nation building, especially as the Philippines remains to be a prime location for outsourced electronics engineering manufacturing and also for outsourced IT services, he said.

“All these come together seamlessly and the Philippines can leverage on the strength of both industries. In fact, we will see more ICT-related applications being integrated into many industries and we need to develop our people to accommodate the potential demand for skilled professionals in both electronics and ICT,” Vicente said.