Master Market Researcher: Dieter Weiss's Data Research Informs European Manufacturing

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

Dieter Weiss, Weiss Engineer/in4ma, has worked in the electronics industry in Germany, the United States, and the Republic of Ireland for 46 years. After a successful entrepreneurial career, he decided to give something back to the industry and started market research of the European EMS industry under the brand in4ma.

With the support of IPC, he has built a unique database of the European EMS industry, which today provides the most qualified benchmarking data available. With his data mining, he is working on statistical disciplines that analyze historical and current data and use algorithms to surface trends that could affect future developments. It involves collecting data, formulating a statistical model, predicting, and validating that model using algorithms that involve market segments, company size, and a degree of vertical integration to better calculate revenue growth within the European EMS industry.

Dieter received the IPC President’s Award at IPC APEX EXPO 2024. His expertise is vital to the industry, and the authority and value of his research are critical for anyone looking to meaningfully benchmark their work.

Dieter, you were a chemical engineer and a PCB supplier for many years, so let’s start with the obvious questions: Why market research? What made you switch careers?

Dieter Weiss: As an engineer and owner, I learned to value the advantages of proper market data. The European laminate industry had organized a market statistic run by a notary, in which most laminate manufacturers in Europe reported their numbers, and the output was just the number of the market size, which allowed us to better understand market developments and be proactive in management decisions rather than just react.

To read the rest of this article, which appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of IPC Community, click here.