Global Electronics Association and Catena-X Partner to Advance Data Exchange Across the Electronics Industry

The Global Electronics Association and Catena-X Automotive Network e.V. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the adoption of trusted, standardized, and interoperable data exchange across the global electronics supply chain. The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration within the Catena-X ecosystem to engage electronics industry stakeholders, identify industry needs and concerns, and encourage participation in pilot projects focused on high-priority use cases. These efforts will help inform an industry roadmap for interoperable data exchange across electronics market sectors.

For electronics companies, the challenge is not simply collecting more data; it's turning that data into information that's shareable across multiple suppliers, customers and business systems. The collaboration brings together the Global Electronics Association's industry expertise and leadership in standards development with Catena-X, the automotive industry's open and collaborative data ecosystem. Together, the organizations aim to advance practical solutions that enable electronics companies to securely exchange trusted data across different business systems, industries, and supply chain partners.

"Electronics manufacturers need information they can use to make decisions, not another disconnected reporting process," said John W. Mitchell, Global Electronics Association president and CEO. "Working with Catena-X gives our industry an opportunity to help shape common approaches to data exchange that reflect the realities of electronics manufacturing and the needs of companies throughout the supply chain."

Flex Automotive's experience illustrates why industry participation matters. Growing demand from automotive customers for product carbon footprint (PCF) data at the request-for-quotation (RFQ) stage highlights the need for consistent calculation methods and reliable information from supply chain partners. "Flex is seeing growing Automotive OEM demand for PCF at the RFQ stage, but this is hindered by the lack of standardized PCF calculation methodology and reliable supply chain data collection. Through Catena-X's standardized PCF rulebook and secure data sharing framework, Flex Automotive aims to pioneer PCF data chains in the electronics supply chain and this pilot is the steppingstone to unlock broader business value beyond PCF use managing director case," said Shanawaz Sheik, director sustainability at Flex Automotive.

The Global Electronics Association will serve as a central point of contact for electronics companies interested in the initiative, bringing industry needs and technical expertise into discussions with Catena-X.

"Automotive and electronics supply chains are closely connected, and effective data exchange needs to work across both," said Hanno Focken, of Catena-X Automotive Network e.V. "This collaboration will bring more electronics expertise into our work, helping us develop practical approaches that suppliers and customers can use together."

Companies interested in contributing expertise or discussing potential applications can visit https://www.electronics.org/electronics-matter-catena-x or learn more at www.catena-x.net.