Dear EPE Members, dear Committee Members,

Dear potential EPE’21 ECCE Europe participants , dear recipients of the EPE Newsletter,

After the up´s and downs in the corona pandemic year 2020, with all the consequences we had to follow due to the governmental regulations, I am happy to learn that this year, thanks to the crash actions in the development of vaccines, we see some light at the end of the tunnel that will allow us to smoothly move back to “normal” life.

However, a deep analysis of the situation in the different countries resulted in a high risk of travel restrictions to and inside the European Union still being in place. This will have a major impact for companies, universities and research institutes to allow their staff and students to participate in face-to-face events in 2021. As a consequence, EPE Association has decided to organize this year’s EPE ECCE Europe Conference once more as a virtual event. Our local organizing team is making all efforts to select a proven media tool for the online conference, so we can provide our participants with the best possible online experience. EPE´21 ECCE Europe will compile high level expert keynotes and presentations. All participants will of course have the possibility to attend the presentations, followed by Q & A slots. Again, this year we are offering an outstanding technical program with many expert presentations from industry and academia as well as timeslots for technical discussions in addition to the virtual poster sessions, industry sessions and the online exhibition. I invite all of you to take this unique chance to participate at this high-level technical event transporting all sessions to your screen directly.

With this newsletter, I also would like to take the opportunity to inform you about the changes in the head office of the EPE Association in Brussels. Brigitte Sneyers, who served as Secretary General for more than 30 years, since the foundation of the EPE association, has effectively retired on 31 January 2021. Brigitte was the main driver to develop the EPE Association, the EPE Conference and all related topics to the worldwide renewed Power Electronics Technology Platform, for an exchange of information among experts from Industry and Academia. All of the EPE community would like to thank her for her outstanding work and commitment. Brigitte was well-known for her knowledge in organizing large events, her ability to present ideas in developing the EPE Association clearly in all relevant committees, her cooperative working style and her receptiveness to new tasks. All of these were success factors to survive even in difficult economic times, and develop the EPE Association to this high level we have today.

We all understand that with the new composition of the EPE-association’s secretariat, it is a new challenge to organize the September 2021 conference, also for the time being due to the impact of COVID-19. Besides a strategic future development of the EPE Association and Conference, all activities are focused on organizing another successful virtual EPE ECCE Europe Conference this year.

I am looking forward to all conference contributors and participants, to continue their support to the EPE Association, to maintain a high-level technical platform for an exchange of information and open innovation in the field of power electronics here in Europe.

Leo Lorenz, President