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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
January 31, 2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

The year is off to a roaring start across the globe, but especially in the U.S. We’ll all be carefully watching the changes in policy, legislation, and enforcement coming out of Washington D.C., in the coming weeks and months. One thing is clear, though. No matter what your opinions or political affiliations are, things will change.
That said, it is impossible to look at last week’s news and draw any conclusions about how everything will equilibrate in the end. Frankly, it’s just too soon for that sort of analysis. In the meantime, here are last week’s five top stories. If you’ve read nothing else about the industry this week, read these.
Flexible PCB Market Size Projected to Reach $50.90 Billion by 2030
Published January 27
Business Wire reports, “The global flexible printed circuit boards market size is projected to reach USD 50.90 billion by 2030, expanding at a CAGR of 13.7% from 2025 to 2030.” Why? They suggest that “tegulated demand from the IT and telecom sector in view of growing need for circuits with higher data processing speed and higher working temperature is further augmenting the growth.” Read more here.
GlobalFoundries Announces New York Advanced Packaging and Photonics Center
Published January 24
Plans to create a new center for packaging and testing are supported by investments from the State of New York and the Department of Commerce. The intent is to provide packaging capabilities for U.S.-made essential chips. This development is where supply chain and national security overlap. Read the details here.
The Test Connection, Inc. Launches The Training Connection to Address Critical Test Engineering and Development Needs
Published January 24
Responding to the critical need to train skilled workers, The Test Connection has launched The Training Connection. Focusing on critical methodologies such as Design for Test (DFT) and IPC standards, The Training Connection posits that it is poised to empower professionals with the tools and expertise they need to excel.
Connect the Dots: Designing for Reality—Surface Finish
Published January 29
If you haven’t been following the “On The Line With…” podcast series with ASC/Sunstone’s Matt Stevenson, you should. Matt’s easily digestible explanations for each PCB fabrication process step will help you understand how all the various steps connect to deliver your printed circuit board. In this episode, Matt discusses surface finishes. Give it a listen.
SMTA Expands Access to All Online Training Courses for Members
Published January 27
The announcement says it best: “During its final meeting of 2024, the SMTA Board of Directors approved a proposal to include all online training courses for active members. This initiative aims to add substantial value to SMTA membership and streamline access to essential training resources. Members can now effortlessly sign in to order courses which will be immediately available to access in their SMTA Classroom.” Membership has its advantages. Read more about this in the February 2025 issue of SMT007 Magazine, which publishes next week.
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Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
Electronics U Expands Global Workforce Training for the Electronics Industry
10/13/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationThe Global Electronics Association unveiled Electronics U, the new name and expanded vision for its workforce training and certification platform.
Draganfly Enlisted by U.S. Army to Deliver Drones on Heels of Developing Drones for Border Security
10/10/2025 | DraganflyDraganfly Inc., an industry-leading developer of drone solutions and systems, announced its selection by the U.S. Army to provide Flex FPV drone systems.
SMT Perspectives & Prospects: Artificial Intelligence Part 6: Data Module 1
10/07/2025 | Dr. Jennie Hwang -- Column: SMT Perspectives and ProspectsData is one of the six pillars of AI infrastructure. It is critical to the performance of artificial intelligence (AI) models. AI data, essential to both the training and inference of Generative AI models, connotes the datasets used to train, validate, and test AI models. Training data provides models with a frame of reference by establishing a baseline against which models can compare new data using pre-trained models for predictions or generating new content.
The Training Connection, LLC Welcomes Industry Veteran Jack Harris to Lead Training Partnerships
10/07/2025 | The Training Connection LLCThe Training Connection, LLC (TTC-LLC), a premier provider of test engineering and development training, is proud to announce that Jack Harris, one of the most recognized names in electronics manufacturing training and technical development, has joined the company as Relationship Lead, Training.
Fresh PCB Concepts: Investing in Tomorrow's PCB Experts Today
09/24/2025 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsPeople often describe the PCB industry as one of the most critical yet invisible foundations of modern electronics. Every project needs a PCB, but few college programs or engineering curricula cover the complexity of board design, stackups, or manufacturability. That means the responsibility for developing the next generation of PCB experts falls on the industry itself.