I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

As President Trump hits his first 100 days in office and Elon Musk heads back to an ailing Tesla, the news cycle seems to have calmed down just a bit. In tech news, China’s Deepseek is making waves in the AI market. Quantum technology made headlines with Quantinuum’s announcement regarding its generative quantum AI framework, which, among other things, could be extremely valuable for sophisticated training of AI systems. Siemens had three announcements this week on new collaborations with semiconductor giants TSMC and Intel, as well as yet another acquisition—Wevolver—that will enhance its Supplyframe product portfolio.  

In our industry, this week’s must-read features include CEE’s Tom Yang and his perspective on having a global business amidst tariff talk and other challenges. Joe Fjelstadt talks to the “Flexperts,” Nick Koop of TTM and Mark Finstead of Flexible Circuit Technologies. Nolan Johnson interviews the McGucken Group about the importance of empathic leadership in BANI times. NCAB’s Ryan Miller writes about reliability and compliance for building PCBs for medical applications, and surprise, more news from Siemens.

Choosing the Right Strategic Path
Published April 29

In the April issue of PCB007 Magazine, Tom Yang, CEO of CEE talks about how the global economy is impacting his business and his plans for forging ahead. He remains resilient and successful despite uncertain economic times. Tom always has an interesting and balanced perspective on the PCB business and working globally. He talks about HDI, tariffs, new facilities in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, and the importance of choosing the right strategic path for your business, despite myriad challenges beyond your control.  

A Visit With ‘Flexperts’ Mark Finstad and Nick Koop
Published May 1

From their time working together at a flex PCB manufacturer in the 1980s to a discussion over beer at the top of a hotel in LA during IPC APEX EXPO several years ago, “Flexperts” Nike Koop of TTM and Mark Finstead of Flexible Circuit Technology visit with flex expert Joe Fjelstad about friendship, industry partnerships, and becoming the voice of flexible circuits. Nick and Mark also share some common mistakes made by new flex designers, what they would like to see in the next generation of flex materials, and how the term “Gerber” has become like “Kleenex” in data-speak. If you are involved in flex, this is a must-read.

Siemens Expands Global Electronics Intelligence Reach and Supplyframe Portfolio with Wevolver Acquisition
Published April 30

In a clear commitment to its electronics and product design business unit, Siemens Digital Industries Software announced its acquisition of Wevolver. “The future of product development starts with smarter design decisions—and that means meeting engineers where innovation begins,” said Steve Flagg, CEO and founder, Supplyframe. “By joining forces with Wevolver, we’re not just expanding our reach; we’re accelerating a new era of design-to-source intelligence that’s collaborative, data-driven and built for the speed of tomorrow’s manufacturing.”

Empathetic Leadership for Incomprehensible Times
Published April 30

Audrey McGuckin and Catherine Sherman of the McGucken Group were the keynote speakers at the EMS Leadership Summit at IPC APEX EXPO 2025. They focused on empathic leadership in an admittedly hard-driving industry that has always more about getting products out the door than on the people doing the work. “For context, the EMS industry is action-oriented,” Audrey said. “It's low margins, getting stuff done, and thinking about what we deliver to the customer. Our proposition in the keynote was, ‘You can't do any of that unless you think about people—talent and alignment.’” She says we are moving away from a Cold War mentality around leadership to that of a BANI model—Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, and Incomprehensible—of making decisions in uncertain and unpredictable environments. This is an interesting and quick read. 

Fresh PCB Concepts: Key Considerations for Reliability, Performance, and Compliance in PCBs
Published April 29

Ryan Miller of NCAB talks mainly about medical PCBs, which, he says, come with their own unique set of challenges and requirements. “In medical applications, even a minor failure can have life-threatening consequences. Achieving long-term reliability requires high-quality materials, precision-engineered components, and advanced manufacturing techniques.” I really enjoy focusing on a market segment or application, and medical technology is fascinating. Ryan gives a thorough overview of all the primary areas of challenge and nuance that a PCB designer and fabricator must address in building for medical products.