Rising Star Award: Paavo Niskala, TactoTek

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

The IPC Rising Star Award is given to IPC members who have taken leadership roles and supported IPC standards, education, advocacy, and solutions to challenges faced by the industry. Their contributions have made a significant impact on IPC and the industry within the past five years and will have a lasting impact for many years to come.

Paavo Niskala joined the IPC community in 2022 as part of the inaugural steering group for in-mold electronics. He led the development of standard IPC-8401, Guidelines for In-Mold Electronics, chairing the project from its inception to its publication in 2024. Currently, Paavo serves as vice chair of the D-84A Plastronics Accelerated Reliability Testing Task Group, contributing his expertise to advancing reliability standards in the field.

Nolan Johnson: Paavo, congratulations on your award. It’s quite an honor. What was it like to get the phone call that you were receiving an award?

Paavo Niskala: To be honest, I was surprised to be contacted by the assistant of IPC's president prior to the call. I had to Google whether it was a legitimate contact. I consider my award recognition for the whole IPC-8401 team that has been working on the first-ever IPC In-Mold Electronics (IME) standard.

Johnson: How did you initially get involved with IPC?

Niskala: I recognized the need for an industry-wide IME standard when working with a customer. I delivered TactoTek's IME demonstrator to one of our automotive OEM customers and their engineer asked me, "How do you test an IME part, which is a combination of mechanics and electronics?" I realized that standards for IME do not exist, and that sparked the idea that we should do something about the matter.

Later on, the French structural electronics network came across the same idea. TactoTek and the French network proposal led to the formation of the IPC 3D Plastronics Steering Group in 2022. TactoTek had a lot of competence in the area, and it was clear it would make sense to share this with the industry. I was active in the initial discussions and soon noticed I was leading the IPC-8401 Task Group.

Johnson: Funny how leadership sometimes just sneaks up on you like that. Which committees do you currently work with?

Niskala: Currently, I am vice chair in the development of IPC-9206 Guidelines for Accelerated Reliability Testing of 3D Plastronic Parts standard.  

Johnson: What lessons have you learned from all this?

Niskala: In order to have a high-quality standard, input from the wide industry is needed. In our Task Group, it worked perfectly. The development of IPC-8401 involved a multidisciplinary team of global experts, including OEMs, tier suppliers, material providers, researchers, and technology developers. This collaboration brought together diverse perspectives to ensure that the standard addresses the needs of different industries and applications. As a result, we were able to create a guideline that provides practical, actionable insights for companies working with in-mold electronics.

Also, I learned a lot about IPC practicalities and procedures and how to effectively develop and bring a standard into publication. A big thanks goes to our IPC liaison, Fran Fourcade, who guided me through the process.

Johnson: What do you find exciting about our industry right now?

Niskala: I am excited about how In-Mold Electronics will change the way electronics are built. The first IPC standard for electronics was published in the 1950s. The first one published for In-Mold Electronics was in 2024. Electronics have come a long way and are now everywhere in modern life. I see the same development for In-Mold Electronics, and the first place where IME will be in the masses is in cars. The automotive industry is evolving, with vehicles becoming more connected, electric, and autonomous. Designers are reimagining interfaces to enhance user experience, connectivity, comfort, and sustainability. IME technology is a perfect answer to designers' wishes as it integrates electronics into 3D surfaces, enabling sleek and multifunctional designs with sustainable manufacturing methods.

Johnson: That’s great, Paavo, and we look forward to hearing more about it. Congratulations on this well-deserved award.

Niskala: Thank you, Nolan.