Preface

Following the dramatic development of the electronics industry, the number of electronic component categories has grown and component quality has continued to progress. Product quality standardization as a trend benefits the flow of products between the countries of the world. For this reason, in 1982, the earliest advocate for world standardization, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), started to formally promote the IECQ System (IEC Quality Assessment System for Electronic Components), to facilitate the international trade in electronic components. IECQ System and CECC ( CENELEC Electronic Components Committee ) System were merged as IECQ-CECC System in April,2003. In order to promote the System, in 2005 IECQ annual meeting, the MC decides to reconvert the abbreviation from IECQ-CECC to IECQ.

In recent years, Taiwan has entered the ranks of major countries manufacturing electronic and information technology products, and has become a leading exporting nation. To meet the intense competition and rapidly changing economics of the international markets, the Taiwan electronics industry must continuously raise product and quality levels. Participating in an international assessment system is one of the best paths to break through trade barriers, and develop international markets.

As early as 1980, The Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs(MoEA) actively planned on joining the IECQ System. In 1983 it urged the establishment of the Chinese Taipei Electronic Components Certification Board and the Electronics Testing Center, Taiwan. The two organizations were to be responsible for promoting the domestic IECQ System. Over 100 local companies have received organization & production approvals, and their names have been placed on the IECQ Register of Approvals which is in IECQ web site. This provides a great benefit to the quality image of the company as well as the country. In 2008 the Vice Minister of MoEA ratified CTECCB should be transferred from IDB to BSMI in 2010.

For the recent years, the trend of international quality certification has taken a new direction. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has issued the ISO 9000 of quality management and quality assurance standards. These standards are already commonly recognized and utilized by 27 European Union Countries. Recently the IECQ Management Committee has approved that the criteria for manufacturer approval under the IECQ System refer to the ISO 9001 of standards. ISO 9001 has become the world standards for quality assurance system.

Domestic electronics factories understand the value of encouraging and supporting an international quality assessment system. This IECQ web site is addressed in that spirit.