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
May 3, 2024 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
This week’s most important news is strategic—and telling. When one puts together the IPC industry reports, we simply have to include the recent conversation with Shawn DuBravac and Tom Kastner. On the design side, check out the latest “On The Line With…” podcast featuring Brad Griffin from Cadence Design Systems, discussing SI and PI in the realm of intelligent system design.
EIPC Issues Letter of Urgency
Published April 29
From the news item, "The EIPC is calling on all European governments to recognize the existential threat to European PCB producers and to take urgent action to provide explicit assistance to reverse the trend and to kickstart renewed investment in both technology and capacity to meet current and future needs.” Learn more about how to support this awareness effort here.
USPAE to Springboard U.S. Technology Forward
Published April 30
The U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics (USPAE) is working on an initiative to access to funding to develop a cooperative facility to develop ultra HDI capabilities for the whole of the U.S. electronics industry. Read more about their progress here.
On the Line With… Talks With Cadence Expert on SI/PI for PCB Designers
Published May 2
How can an intelligent system design methodology move some signal and power integrity decision-making into the physical design space, offering real-time feedback? Brad Griffin discusses exactly this in great detail in this latest installment of our podcast series with Cadence Design Systems.
The New Industry: Will the Growth Continue?
Published April 30
Given the sales numbers posted in this weeks’ Top 5, the question is, “How sustainable are the primary financial models in the United States regarding PCB fabrication shops?” In this interview with economic experts Shawn DuBravac and Tom Kastner, recorded at IPC APEX EXPO earlier in April 2024, we explore what’s happening with U.S. printed circuit board shops in today’s market, how consolidation affects the industry, and what can be done.
North American EMS Industry Down 4% in March
Published April 29
These are not doom-and-gloom numbers. For EMS, the numbers are strong, but last year’s number was even stronger. Numbers are down in PCB and semiconductors too. Check out the rest of our market news.
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Nolan’s Notes: Everyone Has Their Eye on India
09/03/2025 | Nolan Johnson -- Column: Nolan's NotesIn this issue of SMT007 Magazine, we turn our attention to the Indian EMS market. We start with an interview with David Bergman, whose foresight in the early 2000s opened doors for the Global Electronics Association to begin helping Indian EMS companies with standards and certifications that would give EMS companies a footing to enter a global EMS market.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
08/29/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007This week, we bring you Global Electronics Association’s Chris Mitchell’s government relations column on—you guessed it—trade deals. TTM is balancing its facilities between East and West. The Global Electronics Association released July numbers for North American PCB shipments, and the news is good. Meanwhile, the corresponding report for EMS might seem like bad news, but that’s misleading. Be sure to look deeper for the rest of the story. Finally, for a bit space-science palate cleansing, I’m sharing news of the latest launch of NASA’s X-37B.
Summit Interconnect Names Milan Shah as Vice Chairman of the Board
08/26/2025 | Summit Interconnect, Inc.Summit Interconnect, a leading provider of advanced PCB manufacturing, today announced that Milan Shah has been named Vice Chairman of the Board.
The Government Circuit: Navigating New Trade Headwinds and New Partnerships
08/25/2025 | Chris Mitchell -- Column: The Government CircuitAs global trade winds continue to howl, the electronics manufacturing industry finds itself at a critical juncture. After months of warnings, the U.S. Government has implemented a broad array of tariff increases, with fresh duties hitting copper-based products, semiconductors, and imports from many nations. On the positive side, tentative trade agreements with Europe, China, Japan, and other nations are providing at least some clarity and counterbalance.
Lessons From a Thousand Columns: Dan Beaulieu on Writing, Selling, and Staying the Course
08/21/2025 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007For 20 years, Dan Beaulieu has been a steady voice in sales and marketing, offering weekly columns that challenge, inspire, and guide professionals in the electronics industry and beyond. Soon, he will reach a remarkable milestone—his 1,000th It’s Only Common Sense weekly column. In this Q&A, we look behind the scenes of Dan’s writing journey, exploring what has kept him motivated, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and how two decades of weekly columns have shaped his career and the industry conversation.