The Industry Connections Program

Group Formation and Governance

An Industry Connections activity is initiated when a group of companies or individuals recognizes a need for collaboration and consensus within a technical area, and often before they fully understand what form that collaboration should take.

That group of interested parties submits an Industry Connections Activity Initiation Document (ICAID) (DOC) to the IEEE SA Industry Connections Committee (ICCom). The instructions for completing and submitting the ICAID form are included within the form itself.

After the ICAID is approved by ICCom and the IEEE SA Industry Engagement and Sector Strategies Strategic Management and Delivery Committee, the activity’s participants begin meeting in person and/or electronically. During the initial meetings, IEEE SA helps the group establish its leadership structure, policies and procedures, and then continues to support the participants as they develop their shared deliverables.

Who Can Participate?

An IC activity can either be entity-based or individual-based, as specified in the ICAID. In an entity-based activity the participants are corporations, government agencies, academic institutions, trade associations, etc., where each entity gets a single vote on any decision but can have multiple representatives at any meeting.

In an individual-based activity the people participate as individual experts, where each person gets a vote.

The policies and procedures of each IC activity govern how new participants can join the activity.

Evolution of an IC Activity

Industry Connections activities typically focus on the initial collaborative work in a technical area, and then transition into something more permanent, or dissolve. Possible transition paths for an IC activity include:

• Dissolving after completing its work
• Remaining in the IEEE SA as a new standing committee or Standards Committee
• Being integrated into an existing IEEE Society or Council
• Becoming a new IEEE Society or Council
• Becoming a new IEEE-ISTO Industry Program