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IPC Hand Soldering Competition 2026 UK Regional Qualification Opens Registration
January 5, 2026 | Global Electronics AssociationEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The IPC Hand Soldering Competition (HSC) 2026 UK Regional Qualification will take place from 3–5 February 2026 at the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre, bringing together top electronics manufacturing professionals to showcase their precision soldering skills.
Professional competitors will be judged by IPC Master Instructors (MITs) on their ability to solder a complex printed circuit board within 60 minutes, in strict compliance with IPC-A-610 Class 3 criteria. Evaluation will focus on workmanship quality, assembly process, electrical functionality, and speed.
Cash prizes will be awarded to the top performers: €300 for first place, €200 for second place, and €100 for third place. The regional winner will also earn an all-expenses-paid invitation from the Global Electronics Association to compete in the IPC Hand Soldering World Championship at the electronica trade show in Munich, Germany, in November 2026.
In addition, companies are invited to nominate teams for the Hand Soldering Best Company Team Award, with combined scores from the top two competitors determining the winning organization.
Registration is free of charge and open to all professionals, no IPC membership or certification is required. Interested participants can secure their competition slot by completing the registration form; confirmed competitors will receive their assigned date and time by email.
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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/08/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007This week, I’ve selected some outstanding interviews that you’ll want to take note of. First, is a roundtable discussion featuring three dynamic industry cybersecurity experts. Please watch this important discussion that affects us all. Following that, I spotlight the IPC-2581 Consortium, which explains why IPC-2581 is the standard to replace Gerber data for manufacturing. Next, I am including my interview with PCBAA and AAM, who collaborated to release a short documentary on U.S. PCB manufacturing.
Global Electronics Association to Testify at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Panel on Section 301 Structural Excess Capacity
05/08/2026 | Global Electronics AssociationChris Mitchell, Vice President for Global Government Relations at the Global Electronics Association, will testify before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Panel on Section 301 Structural Excess Capacity on Friday, May 8.
Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Karen McConnell
05/07/2026 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007In 2021, Karen McConnell was awarded the Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame award in recognition of her contributions to the Association and the electronics industry. As a senior staff member and CAD/CAM engineer at Northrop Grumman Enterprise Services, her primary responsibility was to develop a common, shared EDM (Electronic Document Management) library to support the electrical and PCB design tool initiatives across Northrop Grumman Mission Systems.
A Necessary Shift From Gerber to IPC-2581
05/07/2026 | Tracy Riggan, Global Electronics AssociationIPC-2581 is an open, vendor-neutral data exchange standard developed by the Global Electronics Association to streamline the exchange of PCB design information across fabrication, assembly, and test. It replaces multiple legacy formats—including industry standards, Gerber, and ODB++—with a single, comprehensive, XML-based dataset that captures all manufacturing details.
TTC-LLC and TTCI: Smarter Training, Stronger Test at PCB East 2026
04/27/2026 | The Test Connection Inc.The Training Connection LLC (TTC-LLC) and The Test Connection, Inc. (TTCI) will be exhibiting together at PCB East 2026, taking place April 28–May 1 at the DCU Convention Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. Attendees can find both teams at Booth #103 during the main exhibition day on Wednesday, April 29.