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

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Happy New Year, everyone! This year promises to be a year of evolution and change. If you didn’t catch Michelle Te’s video review of the most-read stories of 2025, be sure to visit our LinkedIn page for the update.

Expect to see change here at I-Connect007 in 2026 as well. We’re cooking up new ways to better bring you the kind of coverage we do best: reporting that gets under the surface. We’re always asking, “What does that mean to the industry?”

So, what’s important in this first full week of 2026? A consumer electronics global growth report from NielsenIQ leads us off. Staying global, a strategic partnership between ROHM and Tata in India piqued my interest, as did a Jabil M&A transaction aimed at strengthening their data center presence. In CAD tools, Altium has a new general manager. On the workforce front, the Global Electronics Association’s Electronics U schedule is out.

I’m also including a bonus pick: welcoming Remtec president Brian Buyea as our newest columnist and latest Voices of the Industry podcast guest!

Consumer Tech Growth to Reset in 2026 as Demand Shifts to Europe and MEA
Published January 5

In a useful piece of news for OEM readers, NielsenIQ projects that 2026 global sales value in consumer electronics will hold flat year over year (a -0.4% decline.) But a look into individual regions and sectors sheds some light on how the slices of the pie chart will shift. “Looking ahead, the next phase of growth will rely less on broad market recovery and more on how effectively brands tailor innovation, pricing and features to meet local consumer expectations,” they report.

Advance Your Electronics Career in 2026: Upcoming Instructor-Led Courses from Electronics U
Published January 2

The new Electronics U schedule is out! As author Corey Lynn says, “Whether you’re looking to build foundational knowledge or expand into specialized applications, these courses will help you master the tools and techniques that today’s leading companies rely on.” Learn more here.

Don Cantow Appointed as General Manager of Altium
Published January 2

For readers who follow the EDA Tools market, the appointment of Don Cantow as Altium GM is meaningful news. Cantow’s work history includes TI, Mentor Graphics, and a long tenure at Altium leading up the Renesas acquisition. Cantow knows what an enterprise model in the environment looks like, which is strategically important for Altium going forward.

ROHM, Tata Electronics Form Strategic Partnership in the Semiconductor Business
Published January 2

India continues to expand its presence in all factors of technology. In this case, two automotive companies join forces for the Indian domestic market as well as internationally. The first phase of this partnership involves Tata Electronics assembling and testing a portion of ROHM’s automotive components. Later, the companies will expand packaging technologies.

Jabil Acquires Hanley Energy Group to Support AI Data Center Power Management
Published January 5

Jabil cast a long shadow over the electronics engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing solutions sectors; the acquisition of Hanley Energy extends that shadow with additional data center offerings. With data center infrastructure moving at such a rapid pace, the consolidation of services makes sense for efficient buildout. Jabil and Hanley seem quite aware of this.

Bonus item:

I-Connect007 Welcomes New Columnist Brian Buyea: Powering the Future
Published January 7

I’ve had the professional pleasure of interviewing Brian recently on the Voices of the Industry podcast and his expertise is matched by his strategic view. So, it’s a pleasure to welcome him to our cadre of columnists. In Brian’s new column, he intends to explore using the latest in material science to address power management efficiencies. I look forward to upcoming installments and I know you will too.  Be sure to check out the podcast as well, which can be found here.