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This month, we take you inside the annual trade show of the Global Electronics Association, to preview the conferences, standards, keynotes, and other special events new to the show this year.
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Innovation rippled across the entire electronics supply chain in 2025, from semiconductor packaging and substrate materials to denser boards and more robust designs. This issue explores these defining moments and what we can expect in the year to come.
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GrayMatter Robotics Named to Fast Company’s Annual List of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025
March 19, 2025 | GrayMatter RoboticsEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
GrayMatter Robotics is proud to have been named to Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025. This year’s list shines a spotlight on businesses that are shaping industry and culture through their innovations to set new standards and achieve remarkable milestones in all sectors of the economy. Alongside the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, Fast Company recognizes 609 organizations across 58 sectors and regions.
"At GrayMatter Robotics, we are not just advancing AI-powered robots, we are deploying these solutions at scale to transform manufacturing. With 2.1 million manufacturing jobs projected to go unfilled by 2030, the industry is racing against time to boost human productivity. By bringing physical AI into real-world production, we are reducing health risks for workers, bolstering national security, improving sustainability, enhancing quality, dramatically cutting manufacturing cycle times, and enabling inshoring & onshoring," said Ariyan M. Kabir, Co-Founder & CEO of GrayMatter Robotics. "This recognition from Fast Company celebrates our ground-breaking innovations to catalyze a manufacturing revolution for improving quality of life and achieving manufacturing resilience."
Over the past 12 months, GrayMatter Robotics has achieved significant milestones:
- Doubled the number of robots in the field across 16+ states, 10+ industries, and 30+ locations
- Exceeded the milestone of 20 million square feet of surface area processed
- Recognized as one of the best places to work in LA and one of the best startups to work in the US for three consecutive years
- Received Automate Innovation Award for Scan&Grind™, powered by proprietary Physical-AI, the world’s first autonomous robotic grinding solution.
- Expanded IP portfolio to 14 issued, 4 allowed, and 8 more pending patents.
The World’s Most Innovative Companies stands as Fast Company’s hallmark franchise and one of its most anticipated editorial efforts of the year. To determine honorees, Fast Company’s editors and writers review companies driving progress around the world and across industries, evaluating thousands of submissions through a competitive application process. The result is a globe-spanning guide to innovation today, from early-stage startups to some of the most valuable companies in the world.
“Our list of the Most Innovative Companies offers both a comprehensive look at innovation today and a playbook for the future,” said Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. “This year, we recognize companies that are harnessing AI in deep and meaningful ways, brands that are turning customers into superfans by overdelivering for them, and challengers that are introducing bold ideas and vital competition to their industries. At a time when the world is rapidly shifting, these companies are charting the way forward.”
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East Asia at APEX EXPO 2026: Focusing on Cross-regional Exchange and Industry Connectivity
03/03/2026 | Sydney Xiao, Global Electronics Association East AsiaAt APEX EXPO 2026, the Global Electronics Association East Asia team will promote engagement with global experts, industry partners, and member companies by participating in technical committee meetings and industry forums, and by organizing networking dinners and exhibitor visits. More than 40 companies from East Asia are expected to exhibit at this year’s show, representing Mainland China, Taiwan Region, Japan, and Korea.
Punching Out: M&A Deals in North American PCB and EMS Sectors for 2025
02/19/2026 | Tom Kastner -- Column: Punching Out!Mergers and acquisitions activity in the EMS and PCB sectors in North America in 2025 was certainly slow compared to previous years as well as compared to expectations. When we started 2025, there was a feeling that with a deal-making president coming into office, it would be a positive factor. Baby Boomers were riding a silver wave of retirements and there was a ton of dry powder private equity money waiting to buy their businesses. Private equity-owned firms were looking for acquisitions to grow their companies and there was a big network of young entrepreneurs looking to take out SBA loans and buy board shops.
American Made Advocacy: Restore the Domestic PCB Industry to Support National Drone Initiatives
02/17/2026 | Shane Whiteside -- Column: American Made AdvocacyUnmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, once cast only as secret weapons in movies, are now central to modern warfare, law enforcement, and a plethora of industrial applications. Drones carry out a wide range of tasks, from reconnaissance operations providing precise data on enemy positions, to delivering ammunition, equipment, and supplies to soldiers in combat, to being used as weapons in direct engagements and for striking distant targets.
EMS Leadership Summit: A Smarter Way to Gather EMS Leaders
02/11/2026 | Nolan Johnson, SMT007 MagazineMark Wolfe is a career EMS and electronics expert, whose leadership has helped expand and improve the EMS Leadership Summit at APEX EXPO. Last year’s event received a huge approval rating from attendees: a whopping 96% said they’d be back. Not content to rest on those laurels, Mark and his team have put together a program that preserves the Summit’s strengths while finding ways to improve. In this interview, Mark makes a strong argument why EMS leadership at all levels should take a day to examine the wider picture of our industry.
EIPC Winter Conference 2026 Review: The Keynote Sessions
02/11/2026 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007Aix-en-Provence (pronounced “ex-ahn-pro-vonse”), a historic city and commune in the south of France, about 20 miles north of Marseille, was the pleasant venue for EIPC’s Winter Conference in early February. Industry delegates from 11 European countries, as well as from the U.S. and China, gathered at the Renaissance Hotel for a two-day programme, “Driving the Future: Innovation, Energy, and Sustainability in PCB Technology.” An added attraction was a privileged visit to the ITER fusion power project at the Cadarache research and development centre.