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Electrolux, Withings leaders among CETEX speakers

The first speakers have been announced for CETEX, the first ever global exhibition and conference dedicated to consumer electronics testing and development.

Matthieu Menanteau, head of consumer products at Withings, is confirmed to speak at CETEX. Picture: Withings

The speakers, who will present as part of a two-day forum taking place on the sidelines of the expo in Amsterdam this October, include leading lights from the world of tech testing, research and compliance.

Irma Rustemi, regulatory affairs manager for strategy and transformation in the product technology organisation at Electrolux Group and an IEC technical committee chair, will appear at the conference to talk about the impact of gender in electronics standards development. Also confirmed for the event is Matthieu Menanteau, head of consumer products at the French healthcare tech company Withings. Elsewhere, Dominik Spancken, a researcher at the influential German research center, the Fraunhofer Institute, will present a paper on the testing concepts and evaluation methods for recycled plastic.


Fraunhofer's Dominik Spancken will speak about the testing methodologies for recycled plastic. Picture: Fraunhofer

The three other confirmed speakers include: Aury Hathout, an environmental auditor at the Canadian environmental consultancy Enviropass; Han Zuyderwijk, a senior product safety and product compliance consultant at Alura Group; and Gregor Feneberg, managing director at the testing service company BBM TestLab, who will present a paper on comparative product test methodologies for virtual reality systems.

Hosted by the publishers of Consumer Electronics Test & Development and taking place at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre from October 9-10, 2024, CETEX will bring together consumer tech makers, component manufacturers, test equipment makers, and certification and standards bodies under one roof for the first time. The free-to-attend forum will feature presentations from respected product engineers and designers from around the world.

Electrolux Group's Rustemi oversees regulatory requirements for new product releases for the household appliance company, with particular focus on cybersecurity, AI, data, emerging technologies. Alongside her work at Electrolux, she has chaired the IEC technical committee (TC) 61 since November 2022, which focuses on the preparation of safety requirements for electrical appliances primarily for household purposes. 

One of her main priorities since taking on the IEC role has been in advancing the case for gender responsive standards (GRS) - standards that take account of gender difference. She told the IEC's E-Tech publication at the time of her appointment that her best advice for other women working in tech is "to believe in themselves and to not get discouraged even if they fail. You learn from your failures."


Gregor Feneberg, managing director at the testing service company BBM TestLab. Picture: BBM TestLab 

Elsewhere, Matthieu Menanteau has headed Withings' consumer products team since 2020, having joined the health tech company in 2016 as a product engineer specializing in prototyping and mechanical design. In his role Menanteau has expertise in bringing to market consumer health tech and spoke with CET&D magazine last year about the challenges of navigating regulatory requirements for medical-related tech both in Europe and North America. 

Another key speaker at the event will be Dominik Spancken, a business team leader for rescoure-efficient composites at the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF, who recently completed a doctoral thesis in sustainability sciences at the University of Applied Science in Darmstadt. 

According to Spancken, his CETEX talk will cover the testing and design methods required to use reliable components made from sustainable plastics, including for consumer tech. "A particular challenge are recycled plastics, which have a wider range of variation and different material properties compared to established plastics," said Spancken. "Testing concepts and evaluation methods will be presented to meet these requirements in the future." 

CETEX is also honored to host Enviropass' Aury Hathout, who talk to attendees about the issue of environmental compliance for electronics. Hathout, who is a certified environmental auditor, and lab quality manager, said his presentation will delve into "regulatory frameworks, such as RoHS and WEEE directives, and emphasizes sustainable design, manufacturing, and disposal. Through case studies, it highlights what compliance means to businesses and the environment." 

For further information about CETEX visit the event website or email damien.deroche@markallengroup.com