Founded in 1969, the European Microwave Conference (EuMC) is the most important microwave event in Europe.
It was first run on a two-year basis, in London 1969, Stockholm 1971, and Brussels 1973, respectively. The event then became annual, starting in Montreux 1974, with the help of a professional organizer, and was associated with an exhibition of microwave equipment.
From the very first Conference the local committee has been helped in establishing a high-standard international conference by colleagues from all over Europe, including Central and Eastern Europe, as well as some from the U.S. In 1973, it was decided to move toward a more organized structure, and 1974 was the first conference to be run with (1) a Management Committee (MC) composed of about fifteen members representing each European country or group of countries, with a 3-year period of office, (2) a Technical Programme Committee (TPC) composed of about eighteen local and European experts, with an equal distribution, and (3) a large - already seventy-five experts in 1974 - paper review board, operating on a written basis. The rules are still about the same.
The founders of the EuMC series have been very wise. They based the conference on a strong European representation. Furthermore, the basic structure was democratic, with no co-opting of members to the MC: these were – and still are - selected by a variety of external institutions such as national societies, national committees of URSI, or IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques (MTT) Chapters. Those two characteristics are probably the key for success of EuMC, still very active today after more than 40 years. Since 1997, the MC also includes a member appointed by the IEEE Region 8 (Europe, Middle-East, Africa).
In 1997, the MC decided to insert the EuMC into a European Microwave Week (
EuMW). Contacts were established with other entities and individuals in view of cooperation, while Eu
MA decided to reduce the duration of the EuMC from four to three days to offer time slots to other Conferences.
European Microwave
® is a registered Trade Mark of the European Microwave Association.