Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

One World, One Industry: The Future of the Electronics Industry

We’re only two months into 2020, and the year has proven to be filled with changes and challenges for IPC and the electronics industry.  

As you know, electronics are present in every workplace and home, and that presence will only continue to grow. Our industry has brought about many advances, such as medical breakthroughs, mobile computing, satellites, GPS systems, deep space exploration, and much more. We’re building electronics better, and not just for company profit, but to make life better for everyone.  

In my role as president and CEO of IPC, I have the privilege of working and speaking with experts across this industry: designers, manufacturers, suppliers, OEMs, and more.  

When I speak to experts in the field, what strikes me most about our conversations is the accelerating pace of change and opportunity on so many fronts. This industry knows all about change. We are disruptors, and we are used to being disrupted ourselves. From smart factories to artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing, this industry will see its share of change in the coming years. IPC will be at the forefront of that change.  

All of us will tackle changes in the years ahead, and the companies that will thrive will be the ones who take responsibility and lead the change. These companies will embrace diversity, change, and disruption, be the ones who build a stronger, more competitive workforce because if we are not open to diversity and change, we stop innovating.  

At a time when it seems like our industry and world are being shaken to the core by so much change, IPC is a force for bringing us together. Here’s how we do it. 

IPC standards and solutions are already some of the most influential in the world. They help create a global market in which electronics-based products and services work together reliably, making changes easier to navigate. 

We’re vigorously addressing the skilled worker shortage issue, focusing on how we create a more tech-savvy workforce for the jobs of the future. IPC has decades of experience in facilitating worker credentialing programs; our global network of IPC-approved training centers educated more than 110,000 people in 2019 alone. We are now working to not only refine our existing credentialing programs but create new ones to meet future and current needs.  

We created the IPC Education Foundation with a mission to expand our offerings for students in middle schools, high schools, and colleges so that we can attract the next generation of talent. Altogether, we are aiming to create millions of new skilled workforce opportunities over the next decade globally, and I invite you to join us and become an IPC Workforce Champion.  

Another issue of concern that comes up in conversation is how to strengthen the global supply chain. Many of you have supply chains that span the globe for materials, technology, and talent. Our industry has a footprint in more than 75 countries and a presence in almost every nation and every sector of the $90 trillion global economy. 

But along with a global supply chain comes a patchwork of government policies that affect our operations, from taxes to tariffs, environmental regulations, etc. IPC advocates for a fair, open, rules-based international trading system so that you can optimize your business to meet the needs of your customers throughout the world.  

We also work for environmental, health, and safety rules that are science-based, cost-effective, and consistent across international borders. You can learn more about IPC advocacy on our website, and I encourage you to take our online survey about government policy issues that concern you most.  

We need to foster partnerships between diverse players of all kinds, including between government and industry, large companies and small, and actors in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and beyond. About 80% of IPC members are small- and medium-sized businesses. Other members are larger household names. Companies at both ends of the size spectrum need each other.  

Perhaps you’ve heard the expression, “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.” At IPC, bringing the industry together is what we’re all about. It’s been our pride and joy for more than 60 years.  

To the extent that we come together and work together—despite the winds of change blowing all around us—we will go farther and faster together. IPC will be your partner and supporter through all the changes that lie ahead. Come join us on that journey.

This column originally appeared in the March issue of PCB007 Magazine.