A new French collaborative project aims to establish standardized rules for designing and manufacturing more integrated electronic modules, targeting moderate production volumes with controlled costs. Led by We Network, the initiative—named PCMA (Printed Circuit Module Assembly)—brings together industrial giants Alstom, Safran, and Thales.
The project emerges against a backdrop of global supply chain vulnerabilities and a strategic push to bolster European electronics sovereignty. It specifically addresses a gap in the market: while high-volume consumer electronics benefit from mature, cost-effective modular designs, industrial and aerospace sectors often rely on custom, less integrated solutions that are more expensive and complex to produce.
PCMA’s goal is to develop a common framework for "modules électroniques"—pre-integrated blocks combining multiple components (processors, memory, power circuits) on a single substrate. This approach promises to streamline design, accelerate development cycles, and reduce costs for mid-volume production runs typical in transportation, defense, and aerospace.
The consortium plans to define technical specifications, design rules, and qualification processes. By creating this shared foundation, the partners aim to foster a more resilient and competitive European ecosystem for critical electronic modules, reducing dependency on fragmented or overseas supply chains.