-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueWhat's Your Sweet Spot?
Are you in a niche that’s growing or shrinking? Is it time to reassess and refocus? We spotlight companies thriving by redefining or reinforcing their niche. What are their insights?
Moving Forward With Confidence
In this issue, we focus on sales and quoting, workforce training, new IPC leadership in the U.S. and Canada, the effects of tariffs, CFX standards, and much more—all designed to provide perspective as you move through the cloud bank of today's shifting economic market.
Intelligent Test and Inspection
Are you ready to explore the cutting-edge advancements shaping the electronics manufacturing industry? The May 2025 issue of SMT007 Magazine is packed with insights, innovations, and expert perspectives that you won’t want to miss.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
NextFlex Announces $5M Education Fundraising Effort: First Spotlight - Transforming the Landscape for Women in Technology
March 27, 2024 | BUSINESS WIREEstimated reading time: 1 minute
NextFlex Learning Programs, the education-focused arm of the NextFlex® Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute, announces its first spotlight effort, “NextFlex Supports Women in STEM” to increase the number of women in STEM fields, which could accelerate U.S. GDP growth by boosting women’s cumulative earnings by $299B and adding $5.9T to the global stock market within 10 years according to S&P Global.
According to an article published on April 1, 2021 by the Pew Research Center entitled, “STEM Jobs See Uneven Progress in Increasing Gender, Racial and Ethnic Diversity,” women make up a quarter or fewer of workers in computing and engineering, and while strides have been made in related fields, men vastly outnumber women majoring in most STEM fields in college. NextFlex believes that it is our responsibility to create an industry where everyone – our members, customers, and partners – thrive by belonging to a community that is focused on innovation, collaboration, and growth. It is our mission to inform, inspire, attract, and recruit top talent into the manufacturing sector.
Through an ambitious $5M fundraising goal, NextFlex Learning Programs aims to galvanize under-represented talent, and we are proud to announce its first spotlight: Women in STEM Education (WISE) - Inspiring the creation of more leadership and mentorship programs for women from college to mid-career. NextFlex aims to stimulate greater gender equity in the STEM field, grow confidence of females in STEM, help women envision themselves in the STEM workforce, and support them in their early career to remain in STEM.
“At NextFlex, we strive to accelerate the growth of a skilled workforce who are excited and ready to support the advanced manufacturing sector in the U.S.,” said Rebecca Lewis, Director of Education and Workforce Development at NextFlex. “To have a lasting impact, we need to find partners aligned with this vision and who will support our passion to enable women and other under-represented talent to succeed in STEM careers.”
Suggested Items
Driving Innovation: Direct Imaging vs. Conventional Exposure
07/01/2025 | Simon Khesin -- Column: Driving InnovationMy first camera used Kodak film. I even experimented with developing photos in the bathroom, though I usually dropped the film off at a Kodak center and received the prints two weeks later, only to discover that some images were out of focus or poorly framed. Today, every smartphone contains a high-quality camera capable of producing stunning images instantly.
Specially Developed for Laser Plastic Welding from LPKF
06/25/2025 | LPKFLPKF introduces TherMoPro, a thermographic analysis system specifically developed for laser plastic welding that transforms thermal data into concrete actionable insights. Through automated capture, evaluation, and interpretation of surface temperature patterns immediately after welding, the system provides unprecedented process transparency that correlates with product joining quality and long-term product stability.
United Electronics Corporation Advances Manufacturing Capabilities with Schmoll MDI-ST Imaging Equipment
06/24/2025 | United Electronics CorporationUnited Electronics Corporation has successfully installed the advanced Schmoll MDI-ST (XL) imaging equipment at their advanced printed circuit board facility. This significant technology investment represents a continued commitment to delivering superior products and maintaining their position as an industry leader in precision PCB manufacturing.
IBM, RIKEN Unveil First IBM Quantum System Two Outside of the U.S.
06/24/2025 | IBMIBM and RIKEN, a national research laboratory in Japan, today unveiled the first IBM Quantum System Two ever to be deployed outside of the United States and beyond an IBM Quantum Data Center.
Excellon Installs COBRA Hybrid Laser at Innovative Circuits
06/23/2025 | ExcellonExcellon is pleased to announce the successful installation of a second COBRA Hybrid Laser System at Innovative Circuits, located in Alpharetta, Georgia. The Excellon COBRA Hybrid Laser System uniquely combines both UV and CO₂ (IR) laser sources on a single platform—making it ideal for high-density prototype and production printed circuit boards (PCBs).