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Latest IssuesCurrent Issue  The Legislative Outlook: Helping or Hurting?This month, we examine the rules and laws shaping the current global business landscape and how these factors may open some doors but may also complicate business operations, making profitability more challenging.   Advancing the Advanced Materials DiscussionMoore’s Law is no more, and the advanced material solutions to grapple with this reality are surprising, stunning, and perhaps a bit daunting. Buckle up for a dive into advanced materials and a glimpse into the next chapters of electronics manufacturing.   Inventing the Future With SELTwo years after launching its state-of-the-art PCB facility, SEL shares lessons in vision, execution, and innovation, plus insights from industry icons and technology leaders shaping the future of PCB fabrication. 
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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
August 29, 2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
 
                                                                    We’re winding up the third quarter of 2025 without much resolution to the global economic situation, at least not yet. The Trump administration’s 50% tariffs on Indian exports to the U.S. have gone live, and even though electronics are currently exempt, it’s too soon to say how our global supply chains might be affected.
Elsewhere in the news, some sources are reporting that the Trump administration has telegraphed a 200% tariff on Chinese rare earth metals. Should it go into effect, this could have a dramatic effect on the supply chain in the short term.
This week, we bring you Global Electronics Association’s Chris Mitchell’s government relations column on—you guessed it—trade deals. TTM is balancing its facilities between East and West. The Global Electronics Association released July numbers for North American PCB shipments, and the news is good. Meanwhile, the corresponding report for EMS might seem like bad news, but that’s misleading. Be sure to look deeper for the rest of the story. Finally, for a bit space-science palate cleansing, I’m sharing news of the latest launch of NASA’s X-37B.
Want to see me talk about my picks for the week? Check out this LinkedIn post.
The Government Circuit: Navigating New Trade Headwinds and New Partnerships
Published August 25
Why should you read this column from Chris Mitchell? This one sentence alone sets the stage: “The copper tariff is particularly disruptive. Copper is not just an input—it is the essential connective tissue in everything from PCBs to wiring harnesses and electric vehicle components.” Tariffs and trade agreements continue to create short-term uncertainty in the long-range planning processes across the industry. Learn what the Global Electronics Association has to say on the topic.
TTM Technologies: Bridging East and West with Strategic Expansion
Published August 25
President and CEO of TTM Technologies Tom Edman discusses TTM’s exciting expansion strategy, the future of manufacturing, and his long tenure at the helm of the company, which is about to come to an end. See who’s replacing him and what that means for TTM—and for Edman.
North American PCB Industry Shipments Up 20.7 Percent in July
Published August 27
Shawn DuBravac, chief economist for the Global Electronics Association, observed, “North American PCB activity firmed in July. A pickup in shipments brought the book-to-bill into balance, indicating output is keeping pace with demand, and demand remains strong.” What does that mean to you? If you didn’t catch this report, it’s the perfect chance to catch up.
North American EMS Industry Shipments Down 4.1% in July
Published August 27
“EMS bookings rose in July even as shipments eased. After clearing earlier deliveries, customers are stepping up orders as momentum normalizes,” said Shawn DuBravac, Global Electronics Association’s chief economist. To illustrate this point, the book-to-bill ratio holds strong at 1.23.
Boeing-built X-37B Spaceplane Launches, Beginning Eighth Mission
Published August 26
NASA isn’t to be overlooked when it comes to autonomous space launch platforms. The X-37B continues to cycle through missions the way the space shuttle was supposed to, but could never achieve. Because the X-37 is more drone than people-carrier, it can take on missions that a manned flight cannot. Read about the “B’s” eighth mission launch here.
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Henger Microelectronics Expands Global Footprint with Major Equipment Shipment to Southeast Asia
10/31/2025 |Henger Microelectronics has reached a major milestone in its global expansion strategy with the successful shipment of advanced plasma etching and cleaning systems, along with automation equipment, to multiple countries and regions across Southeast Asia. This achievement marks a significant step forward in the company’s international growth and reinforces its position as a leading force in the global plasma equipment industry.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
10/31/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Last week, the IMPACT conference took place in Taipei, bringing together advanced packaging experts from around the globe to share their knowledge. We’ll be bringing you post-conference coverage over the next few weeks, so look for that in our newsletters, and in the Advanced Electronic Packaging Digest. Other news seemed to have the U.S. at the center of the global discussions. My picks start in Phoenix, where TSMC, NVIDIA, and Amkor are all scrambling to establish new capabilities. There’s nothing like a strong demand signal to cause build-out, and AI chips are doing exactly that.
Aircraft Wire and Cable Market to surpass USD 3.2 Billion by 2034
10/30/2025 | Global Market Insights Inc.The global aircraft wire and cable market was valued at USD 1.8 billion in 2024 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.9% to reach USD 3.2 billion by 2034, according to recent report by Global Market Insights Inc.
Building PCBs and Policy in Europe: Group ACB Champions Advocacy, Standards Development, and Technical Leadership
10/30/2025 | Linda Stepanich, Community MagazineHow does a European PCB manufacturer navigate the competitive manufacturing landscape in Europe? By participating in standards development committee meetings, testifying before the European Commission on industry issues, and sponsoring hand-soldering competitions in the region. Group ACB, based in France and Belgium, focuses on high-reliability applications. The 37-year-old company is also active in the Global Electronics Association, giving credit for helping ACB to raise awareness of electronics manufacturing in Europe.
GlobalFoundries Announces Chief Financial Officer Transition
10/28/2025 | GlobalFoundriesGlobalFoundries (GF) announced that, effectively immediately, John Hollister, GF’s Chief Financial Officer, is leaving the company for personal reasons. Sam Franklin, GF’s Senior Vice President of Business Finance, Operations and Investor Relations, will assume the position of Interim Chief Financial Officer while the company conducts a search for a permanent CFO.

 
                                     
                                     
                                     
                                     
                                             
                                             
                                             
                                             
                                             
                                             
                                     
                                             
                                             
                                             Driving Innovation: Mechanical and Optical Processes During Rigid-flex Production
                                         Driving Innovation: Mechanical and Optical Processes During Rigid-flex Production It’s Only Common Sense: Your Biggest Competitor Is Complacency
                                         It’s Only Common Sense: Your Biggest Competitor Is Complacency The Chemical Connection: Onshoring PCB Production—Daunting but Certainly Possible
                                         The Chemical Connection: Onshoring PCB Production—Daunting but Certainly Possible





 
                     
                 
                    