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

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

“You get a trade deal! You get a trade deal! You get a trade deal!” This week’s news was, once again, dominated by tariff news as President Trump completed trade deals with the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan, with markets reacting favorably. The Mexico PCB market got good news, announcing an anticipated 7.2% growth until 2031. The South China Morning Post reported this week that China’s President Xi emphasized the strategic importance of a strong partnership with the EU, as those leaders met this past Thursday.

In industry news this past week, I’m putting a focus on sustainability in electronics by highlighting my interview with Kelly Scanlon and Corey Dehmey, and Nolan Johnson’s Meet the Author podcast with Beth Turner of MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions. I also chose to spotlight the M&A activity and outlook in the U.S. market and regional market news in India and Mexico.

So, grab your coffee and dive in.

Mexico PCB Market to Grow at a CAGR of 7.2% from 2025 to 2031
Published July 22

This past week, it was announced that the Mexico PCB market is expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 7.2% between 2025 and 2031. All signs point upward as Mexico sees massive growth in automotive manufacturing and healthy growth in telecom. Recent investments into the region include a $1.08 billion investment by Audi, a $1.3 billion investment by Microsoft, and Foxconn’s commitment to build a superchips facility to support Nvidia’s GB200. I will be keenly interested in this region, and look for expanded global regional coverage of India and Mexico in upcoming issues of SMT007 Magazine.

Beyond Recycling: Reshaping Sustainability in Electronics
Published July 24

Circularity versus recycling: What is the difference, and what does circularity mean in our practical everyday business operations? We are more sophisticated consumers than we were even five years ago. What does this mean for our businesses, personal lives, how we interact with all our devices, and for the health of our world? I enjoyed my interview with Kelly Scanlon and SERI’s Corey Dehmey, who provide entertaining insight into how “sustainability” should be defined today, and the upcoming ESummit in September. It’s on everyone’s minds, and this is a good read.

Meet the Author: Beth Turner Explores Encapsulating Sustainability for Electronics
Published July 23

Beth Turner, a senior technical manager at MacDermid Alpha Electronic Solutions and an organic chemist working in the polymer protection and thermal materials group, who talks about her book, The Printed Circuit Assembler's Guide to... Encapsulating Sustainability for Electronics. Admittedly, passionate about “researching safer, more sustainable chemistries or materials for use in harsh electronics environments,” Beth is personally involved in several research communities focused on these issues. Building for miniaturization and electronics reliability in harsh environments are probably the two most talked about challenges throughout electronics manufacturing. Beth is a great interview and incredibly knowledgeably. I highly recommend.

Punching Out: M&A North American PCB and EMS Deals for the First Half of 2025
Published July 23

Everyone is also paying attention to M&A activity in PCBs and EMS in the U.S., which somehow seems to coincide with the ever-popular news topics of U.S. tariffs and global trade. The shrinking and consolidation of the U.S. and European PCB industries is not new news, nor is the worldwide growth of EMS. For a view on this telling market dynamic in the U.S., Tom Kastner’s Punching Out column is solid gold. This month’s installment provides an overview of the first half of 2025, which has been less dynamic than anticipated, clocking in about the same as the first half of 2024. Driven mainly by a large number of U.S. business owners at retirement age and the reality that electronics (and AI) are in nearly everything you can touch today, Tom remains bullish on M&A activity.

A Vision for India and Beyond: Gaurab Majumdar's Leadership Across the Southern Hemisphere
Published July 23

Community Magazine’s Summer issue is hot off the press. It features a compelling article by Michelle Te about the growth of the Global Electronics Association alongside general growth of the electronics manufacturing in India. Gaurab Majumdar, VP of Global Electronics Association India, Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Africa, provides an excellent overview of the areas within his purview: standards, certifications, and membership. He cites their strengths as well as challenges for this region. If you are interested in what is happening in this dynamic region for business (and you should be), I highly recommend this read—and stay tuned for even more coverage in September in SMT007 Magazine.