Power Electronics and Motion Control Council (PEMC-C), History (after 1998: EPE-PEMC Council by 2012)
The PEMC-Council is an International Scientific Non-profit Council of mainly Middle European professors and researchers, active in the area of power electronics and motion control. It was founded on Sept. 3, 1996. Its headquarter has been in Debrecen, Hungary at the University of Debrecen, Faculty of Engineering since 2023.
It has representatives around 20 European countries almost all are members of European Union. There is another important association in Europe in the field of Power Electronics, The European Power Electronics and Drive Association (EPE). It was founded in 1984. It is located in Brussels, subject to Belgian law. The secretariat is located at the Electrotechnical Department of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, hosted by the Royal Belgian Society of Electrical Engineers.
Due to the agreement signed in Prague, Czech Republic, in 1998 between European Power Electronics and Drive Association (EPE) and the PEMC-Council, the PEMC-Council changed its name to EPE-PEMC Council to express their close cooperation and it lasted by 2012.
The way of operation of PEMC-C
- The members of PEMC-C work on entirely voluntary basis in the Council. The financial gain is totally excluded.
- Each participating country is represented by 1-4 members.
- The Council is open for distinguished representatives of other European countries.
- Any of the members could recommend a new member. More than 50% of the secret balloting is needed to elect a new member. At least 50% of the members of the Council should be present and take part in the voting.
- The Council makes the decision on the venue of PEMC conferences.
- The Council makes the decision on the PEMC award by an appointed Committee handed to one or two highly respected persons during the PEMC conferences.
- The Council has - in general - one or two meetings in a year. Once during the PEMC Conference and one between the PEMC Conferences preferably in the site of the next Conference. Other meeting possibilities are: EPE-EC meetings in Brussels, EDPE conferences.
- The members of the Council seek the support of their IEE in their country in their activities.
- The Council makes a decision on the Key-note speakers of the PEMC conferences. Three key-note speakers are preferred: one from Europe, one from America, and one from Asia.
- The PEMC-C should decide whom they would cooperate with (EPE, IEEE, EDPE, Japanese IEE, ECPE, KIPE etc.).
- The chairman of PEMC-C is Prof. Istvan Nagy, the secretary is Prof. Péter Korondi. The Secretariat of PEMC-C is located in Debrecen, Hungar
The responsibility of the Secretariat of PEMC-C are
- Ensure the continuity and the high quality of PEMC Conferences: collect the proposals for the new members and organise the voting for them; collect the proposals for the organisation of the PEMC Conference and organise the voting for it.
- Promote cooperation with other organizations
- Cooperate with the Award Committee for the selection of the awardees
- Help the organization of the conferences
- Inform the members by periodically issued Newsletter
Brief History of PEMC (EPE-PEMC) Conferences
The Power Electronics and Motion International Conference ranks to the oldest and the most important conferences in fields of power electronics, electrical drives and motion control in Europe. A brief chronology of the conference is as follows:
1970 - the PEMC conference was established in Budapest as the 1st series of conferences on Power Electronics in Europe. This fact was described by the Swiss Prof. A. Kloss in his book "Auf den Spuren der Leistungselektronik" (in English: "Along the Track of Power Electronics") published by VDE Verlag Germany. The series of conferences held in Budapest gradually has gained the international reputation. It was a meeting point for example for German colleagues coming from West and East.
In the time span from 1970 by 1990 altogether 6 International Conferences were held in Budapest organized by the Hungarian IEE. The years of the 6 Conferences are: 1970, 1973, 1977, 1981, 1985, 1990. All of them was held in three different venues in Budapest, Hungary.
1990 - it was a turning point of this series because at the first time PEMC'90 was jointly organised with the Polish colleagues.
1994 - the PEMC Conference started to wander from Budapest and circulate - as a result of co-operation with Polish colleagues, the PEMC'94 was held in Warsaw. Chairman: Prof Koczara
1996 - the PEMC'96 Conference in Budapest widened the international links as it was organized jointly by the IEE of Hungary (MEE), the European Power Electronics and Drives Association and six National Electrical Engineering Institutes from Central European countries: Austrian, Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Polish and Slovak Institutes. During the conference, a regional International body - PEMC Council - was formed for managing, organizing future PEMC Conferences. One of the main objectives of cooperation would be the integration of our region into Europe and to the world Community as an equal party.
1998 - the last conference - PEMC'98 was held in Prague, Chairman: Prof Z. Cerovsky, co-sponsor was the IEEE-IES, IEE Japan among others. Here an important Agreement about Co-operation was signed between the Executive Council of the European Power Electronics and Drive Association (EPE Association) with the headquater in Brussels and Power Electronics and Motion Control Council with the headquater in Budapest. Since signing the Agreement, the conference series is entitled to use the abbreviation EPE-PEMC. The PEMC Council consisting of professors from Central European countries has received an abbreviation EPE-PEMC-C, too. Both these abbreviations manifest the strength of mutual co-operation between the most important organizations in the field of power electronics and electrical drives in Europe. This fact is also confirmed by joint participation in their highest association bodies and conference committees. Based on Agreement, the EPE-PEMC Conferences have to be organized in even years, out of the years when the EPE conferences are held.
2000 - EPE-PEMC2000, Košice, Chairman: Prof. W. Fedak, co-sponsors were IEEE-IES and Japanese IEE among others. The conference was organized in close co-operation with the European Power Electronics and Drives Association (EPE Association). Many national Electrical Engineering Institutes also supported the conference. First the Slovak Electrotechnical Society has to be mentioned.
2002 - EPE-PEMC2002, Dubrovnik-Cavtat, Croatia, Chairman: Prof D. Ban, cosponsors were IEEE-IES and Japanese IEE among others. The number of countries where participants came from was near 60 like in previous EPE-PEMC Conferences. One new important achievement was that 3-4 weeks prior the start of the conference the registered attendees could read all of the papers on the web.
2004 - EPE-PEMC2004, Riga, Latvia, Chairman:Prof L. Ribickis, cosponsors were IEEE-IES and Japanese IEE among others.
2006 - EPE-PEMC2006, Portoroz, Chairman: Prof K. Jezernik, cosponsors were IEEE-IES and Japanese IEE among others.
2008 - EPE-PEMC2008, Poznan, Poland, Chairman: Prof. K. Zawirski, cosponsors: were IEEE-IES, -PELS, -IAS, Japanese IEE, Korean KIPE among others.
2010 - EPE-PEMC2010, Ohrid, Macedonia, Chairman: Prof. Slobodan Mircevski, cosponsors were: IEEE-IES, -PELS, -IAS, Japanese IEE, Korean KIPE among others.
2012 - EPE-PEMC2012 ECCE Europe, Novi-Sad, Serbia, Chairman: Prof. V. Katic, co-chairman: Prof. D. Boroyevich. It was a joint conference with the Second ECCE Europe Conference organized jointly with EPE and IEEE-IES, -PELS, -IAS, Japanese IEE, Korean KIPE among others.