Learning with Leo: Drones—Meeting Demand Without Compromise
Nolan’s Notes: Our Spotlight on North America
Global Sourcing Spotlight: Building a Supply Chain That Bends, Not Breaks
Joining Forces: SMTA and the SMART Group in Europe
October 19, 2017 | Patty Goldman, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
I was happy to sit down with SMTA Executive Director Tanya Martin at SMTAI recently, to discuss current events within the association, and some interesting news about an upcoming merger. Also joining the discussion was Keith Bryant, Global Director of Sales for YXLON International and Chairman of the SMART Group.
Patty Goldman: Well, Tanya, SMTA International is one heck of an event this year, isn't it?
Tanya Martin: Indeed, this is one of our best years in terms of attendee registration for the technical sessions in the conference as well as on the expo floor. We are happy to say that we expanded the show floor to accommodate the growing amount of equipment being showcased as well as additional booth space. It's been an exciting year.
Goldman: And the conference rooms seem to be pretty much filled plus there were five technical tracks on some of the days.
Martin: It's fantastic to be facilitating the sharing of research and solutions between so many people. We are seeing increased attendance in the technical sessions, some sitting shoulder to shoulder. SMTAI officially starts on Sunday each year. This year we had 20 workshops that offered a variety of topics for different experience levels. Monday hosts our popular Technical Innovations and Harsh Environments programs as well as our expanding Women’s Leadership Program. Tuesday and Wednesday have five full technical tracks running concurrently. We will close the conference with our largest Thursday program ever that includes four concurrent tracks with two consortium sessions.
Goldman: I understand you have some news you would like to share. What’s happening?
Martin: We have some new initiatives that we are putting into place. The Board of Directors, Headquarters, and our chapter leaders have really come together to focus on more strategic engagement. We are really trying to attract and include younger professionals, the future leaders of our industry, as well as students, both individually and those in SMTA student chapters. You also may have noticed this past year that we changed our tagline to "A Global Association Working on a Local Level." We are really trying to emphasize this and put actions to it. It's our local chapters that are going out and expanding the mission to the professionals in their area. We understand that people don't always have the time, company approval or travel budgets to attend the bigger conferences, like SMTA International, and need resources and training brought to them.
Goldman: You always had chapters around the world, right?
Martin: Correct. Not only are we exploring additional chapter growth globally, we are putting more focus into finding new ways for existing chapters to increase their reach—paying attention to the specific needs in each region and addressing the different technical disciplines that are local to each area.
Goldman: That's all good news. Is there more?
Martin: We were excited to announce in early September that the SMART Group will be merging into SMTA to create SMTA Europe. SMART has been serving the UK/European market since the mid-1980s and running successfully under the leadership of Keith Bryant and Bob Willis. We are delighted to increase our presence throughout Europe and serve the local electronics manufacturing market through the SMTA mission.
Goldman: What is the SMART Group?
Martin: SMART Group is an organization very similar to SMTA and actually started at around the same time as SMTA. We are aligned in our values and mission to bring educational opportunities to the local community and sharing of technical knowledge.
Goldman: They are a European organization then?
Martin: Yes, so new and renewing members will become the charter members of SMTA Europe.
Page 1 of 2
Share on:
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
When Quality Is Personal: The Human Stakes Behind Electronics Reliability
05/06/2026 | Kelly DackIn electronics manufacturing, quality is often discussed in terms of specifications, standards, and process controls, but as industry veteran Doug Pauls reminds us, the stakes are far more human. In this conversation, Doug, a recipient of the Global Electronics Association’s Hall of Fame Award, draws on more than four decades of experience to illuminate the real-world consequences of reliability, where even a single defect can carry profound implications. He brings into sharp focus why quality isn’t just a metric, but a responsibility shared by everyone on the manufacturing floor.
PCBAA, AAM Take on the Fight to Rebuild U.S. Manufacturing in New Documentary
05/05/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Throughout most of the 20th century, manufacturing was central to the American Dream of providing stable jobs and pathways to upward mobility. Today, more than 80% of global electronics manufacturing capacity resides in China and greater Asia, raising serious concerns about supply chain resilience and national security.
India’s Vasantha Advanced Systems: EMS Success for 30 Years
04/22/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Based in one of India’s premier manufacturing regions, Vasantha Advanced Systems is an EMS provider that has built a reputation for quality, reliability, and long-term customer partnerships, earning repeated recognition from the Indian government through its National MSME Awards. Now, with a full spectrum of capabilities spanning PCB assembly, box build, and wire harness, and a workforce of more than 500, Vasantha is expanding its presence into the U.S. market. At APEX EXPO, I met Dr. Chidambaranathan and learned how this rising global player is positioning itself to meet the evolving needs of North American customers.
April Issue of I-Connect007 Magazine: Beyond the Rulebook
04/14/2026 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamIn this month’s I-Connect007 Magazine, we asked PCB designers, fabricators, and suppliers what it really means to operate without a rulebook. Their perspectives vary, especially between seasoned designers and experienced fabricators, but a common thread emerges: progress depends on pushing boundaries and finding a way forward, even when the path isn’t clear. In many ways, this mindset has always been part of what we do, whether we’ve called it that or not.
Defense Speak Interpreted: Hypersonics Report Back After Six Years of Silence
04/07/2026 | Dennis Fritz -- Column: Defense Speak InterpretedIt’s been six years since my Defense Speaks column about hypersonic weapons. Back then, these weapons were the most sought-after technology as there was little defense for them. They were the cornerstone of the “strike any location on earth within one hour” scenario. Of course, the war in Ukraine, and now the action in Iran, have grabbed the weapons headlines, but hypersonics still play a role and development continues. Here is the update.