Power Electronics Trends from APEC 2025
One of the healthy aspects of the power engineering space is that the people involved typically consider themselves to be part of a larger community. Of course, other markets and application spaces also form communities, but one could argue that the power engineering community is a strong one with deep roots and connections.
This community often manifests itself in its events, where everyone congregates to not only learn, sell, and organize, but also chat, visit, and socialize. A leading show in this industry is the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC), a keystone of the power electronics marketplace.
This year’s APEC was very successful, from its start 40 years ago to an event with over 6,000 attendees, over 750 technical presentations, 18 professional education seminars, and a three-day exposition with 300-plus exhibitors. We ran into Aung Thet Tu, APEC 2025 General Chair, on the show floor and had the opportunity to talk about the event, its history, and the power electronics industry.
APEC was created to serve the working power engineer after the Power Concepts International Power Electronics Conference (POWERCON) stopped being held in 1984. The predecessor to the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS), the IEEE Power Electronics Council, put the pieces together for the exhibition in late 1985, and the first APEC was held in April 1986 at the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Additional sponsors like the IEEE Industry Applications Society (IAS) and the Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA), a nonprofit association, underscores APEC’s broad appeal and why it's a must-attend gathering in the power electronics community.
