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Dieter Bergman IPC Fellowship Award Presented to Hiroyuki Watanabe, NEC Corporation, at IPC APEX EXPO 2025
March 24, 2025 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute

The Dieter Bergman IPC Fellowship Award was presented to Hiroyuki Watanabe, NEC Corporation, an IPC Board Member and long-time volunteer, at IPC APEX EXPO 2025 in Anaheim, California. The award is given to members who have fostered a collaborative spirit, made significant contributions to standards development, and have consistently demonstrated a commitment to global standardization efforts.
A member of the IPC Board of Directors since 2020, Watanabe is an expert in security and international economics. He has presented papers at IPC APEX EXPO, published white papers for the IPC Thought Leaders Program, presented at the IPC Engineering Webinar Series, held individual webinars for members in Japan, and introduced IPC’s initiatives at the Counterfeit Symposium. He serves on the IPC-1792 Cyber Security Standards Committee, is an Asia Task Group member, is an active participant in IPC’s Thought Leadership Program, and is a member of the 2-10-AT3 A-Team, The Strategy Seekers.
As part of the award, Watanabe bestowed the Dieter Bergman Memorial scholarship upon Niigata University in Niigata, Japan.
“Watanabe-San epitomizes the spirit of fellowship of the Dieter Bergman Fellowship Award, in leading and working with committee volunteers from around the world and is a valued board member and industry thought leader,” said John W. Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “We are fortunate that he has chosen to share his substantial talent and expertise with IPC and the global electronics industry.”
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Creating Connections in Mexico
07/30/2025 | Michelle Te, Community MagazineA concerted effort by the Global Electronics Association—Mexico team over the past year has created inroads for the Global Electronics Association (formerly IPC) with leading electronics companies, government offices, and academic institutions in Mexico. “Our goal is to bring more awareness to what the Global Electronics Association is and what it offers,” says Lorena Villanueva, senior director. “We also aim to increase our membership. Of 3,200 members of the Global Electronics Association, only 180 are in Mexico.”
Powering Progress: Summer 2025 Community Magazine Now Available
07/22/2025 | Community MagazineIn the new Summer 2025 edition of Community Magazine, members of the Global Electronics Association demonstrate what progress really looks like—through innovation on the factory floor, influence on public policy, and investment in the next generation of engineers.
TRI to Exhibit at SMTA Queretaro Expo 2025
07/16/2025 | TRITest Research, Inc. (TRI), the leading provider of test and inspection systems for the electronics manufacturing industry, is pleased to announce plans to exhibit at the SMTA Querétaro Expo 2025, scheduled to take place on July 24, 2025, at the Querétaro Centro de Congresos y Teatro Metropolitano.
Global PCB Connections: Let the Spec Fit the Board, Not Just the Brand
07/17/2025 | Jerome Larez -- Column: Global PCB ConnectionsIf you’ve ever seen an excellent PCB quote delayed, or worse, go cold because of a single line on the fab print, you’re not alone. Often, that line reads something like, “Use 370HR only,” or “IT-180A required.” These and other brand-name materials are proven performers, but unless your design needs that specific resin system (say, for RF performance, thermal reliability, or stringent CAF resistance), you may inadvertently be holding your job hostage.
IPC Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Lionel Fullwood
07/15/2025 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007Many IPC members who have contributed significantly to IPC and our industry have been awarded the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame (HOF) Award. Though many early HOF members have passed away and are unknown to today’s IPC membership, their contributions still resonate. This special series on IPC Hall of Fame members provides a reminder of who was honored and why. As a bonus, for those who are still around, we get to find out what these talented individuals are up to today.