IMPACT Interview: Shane Whiteside, Summit Interconnect
July 28, 2017 | Patty Goldman, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
During Tuesday night’s dinner at IMPACT Washington, D.C. 2017, I-Connect007's Patty Goldman had a chance to talk with Shane Whiteside, Summit Interconnect’s president and CEO.
Goldman: Shane, it’s good to see you. Is this your first time at IMPACT?
Whiteside: This is my first IMPACT. I’ve missed it in previous years, but I’m very pleased to be here.
Goldman: Tell me what you’ve learned in the past day and a half, since arriving.
Whiteside: I’ve been impressed with how IPC has organized a very effective event, and I think that’s not only my impression, but other attendees as well. The people that we’ve met today reflect the influence that IPC has gained in this town, from EPA administrator Scott Pruitt to one of Vice President Pence’s senior advisors, Darius Meeks. It’s just an incredible lineup here today and I think what was really gratifying to me is understanding how much the new administration is aligned with a promoting a very positive industrial policy.
Goldman: It seems everybody is aligning with that, shall we say, and quickly.
Whiteside: There is a lot of enthusiasm with respect to the potential resurgence of U.S. manufacturing. I think that a lot of the people that we met today represent not only new faces, but a new approach as well. The tone is much different, from what I understand, from previous eras. And we’re very much looking forward to the support and the commitments that were made here today to create positive change in our industry.
Goldman: I’m going to put you on the spot a little bit. This morning, a couple of people, including Kim Ford and Robert Irie from the Department of Defense, said, “Get back to us with information—with your needs.” Are you going to act on anything?
Whiteside: I think Kim Ford’s challenge was to get back to her department with what sort of educational needs we can articulate to IPC and their membership can support, or she can support. I think IPC has increased their focus on members’ training needs and is in the best position to respond to Ms. Ford, we will continue to work with IPC in this area. And with the DoD’s request, they’ve spent a lot of time assessing the electronics supply chain in the U.S. and they have a very pragmatic assessment of where the risks are in the supply chain. Where I am concerned about the supply chain is in bare printed circuit board manufacturing, and unfortunately the government’s assessment is still “TBD.” This is due to a 2016 Department of Commerce study that will take until November 2017 to get the results for and allow anyone to really develop an opinion on how to go forward.
To read the full version of this interview which appeared in the July 2017 issue of The PCB Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
IPC Hosts Advanced Packaging Symposium in Tokyo
06/13/2024 | IPCThe IPC Advanced Packaging Symposium held in Tokyo on June 7, 2024, brought together leading experts, policy makers and other stakeholders from the semiconductor industry to discuss cutting-edge advancements and collaborative strategies shaping the future of advanced packaging technologies.
IPC Issues Call for Participation for IPC APEX EXPO 2025
06/11/2024 | IPCIPC is now accepting abstracts for technical papers with presentations, posters, and professional development courses at IPC APEX EXPO 2025. The technical conference will be held March 18-20 and professional development courses will take place March 16-17 and 20, 2025 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.
An IPC ‘Blockbuster’: IPC-7711/21
06/11/2024 | Teresa Rowe, IPC Senior Director, Assembly and Standards TechnologyDan Foster, Missile Defense Agency, has been instrumental in developing IPC-7711/21, Rework, Modification and Repair of Electronics Assemblies, over several revisions of this important guideline document. We talked to Dan and committee member Agnieszka Ozarowski, BAE Systems, about the most recent revision.
Governments Struggling With ‘Silicon-to-Systems Approach’
06/11/2024 | Chris Mitchell, IPC Vice President of Global Government RelationsWhat do you do when you don’t know what to do? That is the conundrum facing U.S. government officials overseeing billions of dollars in strategic investments in the domestic microelectronics industry. Enormous grants are beginning to flow to the chips sector, and after years of IPC advocacy and education efforts, policymakers have gained a clearer picture of the rest of the electronics supply chain, including everything chips depend on to function.
IPC Adds Nimonik as New Global Standards Subscription Distributor
06/10/2024 | IPCEffective June 1, 2024, IPC entered into a distribution agreement with Nimonik, a regulatory and standards compliance software company. Nimonik is now able to offer IPC standards products in hard-copy and electronic media format through their online retail store or via an annual subscription.