Defense Speak Interpreted: If CHIPS Cuts Back, What Happens to Electronics Packaging Funds?
American Made Advocacy: Where’s the Budget for a Modern Military Run on Microelectronics?
Beyond the Board: Orbital High Ground—Why Space Superiority Is Slipping Away
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
March 24, 2023 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
It’s almost as if upheaval is the new normal. We often describe slow-moving but unstoppable change as moving in “geologic time.” But occasionally–like an earthquake–geology shifts suddenly. Here in my office, tracking the news of the industry, things are moving faster than geologic time, but more slowly than the jolt of an earthquake. The wave seems almost surfable, where before it seemed overwhelming. In this week’s list, we bring news from five different, high-vibration areas in our industry. If you read nothing else this week, these five items will keep you informed.
The Big Picture: A New Globalization
Published March 20, 2023
I-Connect007 columnist, Mehul Davé takes a step back to consider nationalism, globalism and their teeter-totter relationship, the “paradox mindset” as a unifying worldview, the advent of AI, and the implications all these dynamics bring to the world in which we do business. No wonder this column got so much attention.
Darwin AI Evolving the Islands of Automation
Published March 20, 2023
Speaking of the effect of artificial intelligence applications on our industry, we recently had the opportunity to interview Darwin AI’s CEO and founder, Sheldon Fernandez. Darwin AI is focused on bringing AI to electronics assembly. Learn what he has to say here.
Foxconn Announces FY2022, 4Q22 Financial Results
Published March 20, 2023
As one of the largest electronics assembly companies on the planet, Foxconn’s 2022 revenues equal nearly $218 billion. How did the rest of the financial numbers turn out? Seems plenty of readers wanted to know.
NextFlex Launches $4.4M Funding Opportunity to Strengthen U.S. Electronics Manufacturing, Advance Adoption of Hybrid Electronics
Published March 22, 2023
From the press release, “NextFlex, America’s Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) Manufacturing Institute, released Project Call 8.0 (PC 8.0), the latest call for proposals that seek to fund projects that further the development and adoption of FHE while addressing key challenges in advanced manufacturing that support Department of Defense priorities. The total PC 8.0 project value is expected to exceed $9.4M (project value/investment figures include cost-sharing), bringing the total anticipated investment in advancing FHE since NextFlex’s formation to $134M.” If this is a program you can take advantage of, read on here.
The Summit View of the Marketplace
Published March 21, 2023
Investments, staffing, cybersecurity, and a peek into his crystal ball—John Vaughan, vice president of strategic markets at Summit Interconnect, sits down with Nolan Johnson to talk about it all. Business is good, by the way, thanks to Summit’s portfolio of military contracts, and he has sound advice to offer for smaller shops in the United States, and their real ability to make a difference in PCB fabrication.
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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
09/05/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007It’s almost fall here in Atlanta, and that means that the temperature is finally dropping. And it quit raining! It’s been raining since March, and I’m so over it, as the social influencers say. Last night we grilled out on the deck, and it wasn’t hot, and we didn’t get rained on. Life is good. It was a busy week in the industry. In this installment of my must-reads, we say goodbye to Walt Custer, the man who made PCB data points interesting for the rest of us.
HDI PCB Market Poised for Explosive Growth, Projected to Hit $34.23 Billion by 2032
09/04/2025 | Globe NewswireAccording to Coherent Market Insights (CMI), the global HDI PCB market size is projected to expand at a CAGR of 8.3% over the forecast period, reaching USD 19.59 Bn in 2025 and USD 34.23 Bn by 2032.
Kris Moyer Discusses His Emerging Design Technologies Class
09/04/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Kris Moyer, a design instructor for the Global Electronics Association, will be teaching his advanced PCB design class this fall. If you’re ready to level up your design education, you won’t want to miss this interview. The PCB Design for Emerging Design Technologies course is designed to provide the skills necessary to create PCB/PBA designs that require cutting-edge emerging design technologies and comply with all necessary IPC standards, including new standards being developed in this area.
NOTE Appoints Bahare Mackinovski Chief Sales and Marketing Officer
09/04/2025 | NOTEAs part of NOTE’s strategic focus on growth and customer value, the company is now strengthening its executive management team by appointing Bahare Mackinovski as Chief Sales and Marketing Officer.
UHDI Fundamentals: UHDI Technology and Industry 4.0
09/03/2025 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsUltra high density interconnect (UHDI) technology is rapidly transforming how smart systems are designed and deployed in the context of Industry 4.0. With its capacity to support highly miniaturized, high-performance, and densely packed electronics, UHDI is a critical enabler of the smart, connected, and automated industrial future. Here, I’ll explore the synergy between UHDI and Industry 4.0 technologies, highlighting applications, benefits, and future directions.