The Government Circuit: Trump’s Trade War Disrupts the Electronics Ecosystem
Defense Speak Interpreted: Update on the Continuing Resolution and Budget Process for Defense
American Made Advocacy: Reshoring—About Trust, Not Just Geography
Stan Rak: Elevating the Ideas and Insights of IPC's Thought Leaders Program
April 25, 2024 | Stanton Rak, SF Rak CompanyEstimated reading time: 1 minute
As a member of the IPC Thought Leaders Program (TLP), I am responsible for identifying knowledge-sharing opportunities that can generate ideas and insights that strengthen the IPC community as well as create a sustainable and lasting future for its members. I am delighted to highlight some of my recent contributions as a member of the TLP.
Webinar: Improving Technical Writing
In a September 2023 workshop on workforce development, I delivered a webinar titled "Technical Paper Writing: Industry Best Practices for Conference Manuscripts." The webinar was prompted by my observations as chair/co-chair of the IPC APEX EXPO Technical Program Committee (TPC) for 2022 and 2023, as well as preparations for ECWC16. TPC members believe there is a need to communicate and document information in a formal and permanent record for the advancement of science and technology. Technical papers add to the credibility of our work so others can truly understand the benefits and advance the field themselves. It is also important that any work presented at IPC APEX EXPO is described in a manner that can be reproduced by others. Additionally, many members of the IPC community are involved with standards task groups and know that high-quality technical papers are often leveraged to help create new and stronger industry standards.
In my leadership role on the TPC, I observed that technical manuscript writing was more prevalent in scientific and academic communities and less so in engineering and industrial environments (where most IPC members reside). I also noted that technical paper writing is in danger of becoming a lost art. In today’s fast-paced world, information is often communicated digitally in brief formats like text messages, posts, and video clips. PowerPoint presentations are useful for conveying information in most professional settings. All these forms of communication serve a valuable purpose: the timely and illustrative dissemination of information. But the quality and breadth of the information can have its limitations.
To read the rest of this article, which appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of IPC Community, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Hunting for Clues: Feng Xue Solving Circuit Board 'Crimes' With AOI Standard
05/08/2025 | Linda Stepanich, IPCWhen residents in sleepy English villages needed a top-tier detective to solve a murder, they called on Belgian super-sleuth Hercule Poirot, author Agatha Christie’s fictional detective famous for using his “little grey cells” to solve crimes. In the same way, IPC standards development committees, when creating a standard to detect defects in circuit boards using Automated Optical Inspection (AOI), call on IPC A-Team, Hercule.
IPC Strengthens Global Focus with Promotion of Sanjay Huprikar to Chief Global Officer
05/08/2025 | IPCIPC, the global electronics association, announces the promotion of Sanjay Huprikar to chief global officer. This newly created position reflects the association’s forward-looking strategy and industry needs to strengthen the electronics supply chain.
Navigating Global Manufacturing in an Era of Uncertainty
05/07/2025 | Philip Stoten, ScoopThe EMS industry faces unprecedented challenges as global trade tensions rise and tariff announcements create market uncertainty. In an overview of IPC Europe’s podcast, MADE IN EUROPE, industry experts from GPV and Zollner examine how these developments impact our businesses and customers, and what strategies will prevail in this new landscape.
Nick Koop Launches IPC Flex Design Class
05/06/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineNick Koop is director of flex technology for TTM Technologies, and he’s been a staple of IPC’s flex committees for decades. He’s also a longtime flex design instructor, and he’s about to debut a new IPC class, Flex and Rigid-Flex Design for Manufacturability, which will run May 12–21. In this interview, Nick tells us about this new class and what attendees can expect to learn.
The Government Circuit: Trump’s Trade War Disrupts the Electronics Ecosystem
05/06/2025 | Chris Mitchell -- Column: The Government CircuitThere is certainly no shortage of work to be done in the IPC Government Relations department, as the U.S. waged a tariff campaign on practically every industrial country in the world and several countries embarked on high-tech initiatives with a mix of approaches to the crucial foundations of electronics manufacturing. Indeed, the breadth and speed of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff campaign continues to be a serious challenge for our industry.