A Global Perspective on the Future of Electronics: Skills, AI, and Supply Chain Transformation

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This post is part of an ongoing blog series from the Global Electronics Association examining the trends shaping the future of the global electronics industry. 

Today, we turn to insights from Gaurab Majumdar, Vice President of India, Southeast Asia, and Middle East & Africa, as part of our ongoing series on the future of the global electronics industry. 

The major trends expected to influence the electronics ecosystem in the year ahead are: 

GLOBAL ELECTRONICS ECOSYSTEM: 

The ecosystem will become increasingly skill-driven and standards-led, with manufacturers prioritizing process discipline, certified talent, and reliability benchmarks to meet rising complexity. 

AI's IMPACT: 

AI will reshape electronics through AI-optimized chips, edge-intelligent devices, and predictive factory operations, requiring new architectures, stronger thermal strategies, and tighter process discipline. 

AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS: 

Automotive electronics will shift toward power-dense, software-defined, safety-critical architectures driven by EV and ADAS adoption, with suppliers evaluated on reliability, semiconductor readiness, and ability to meet stringent global standards. 

WORKFORCE TRANSFORMATION: 

The workforce will shift from simply operating equipment to manufacturing intelligence, where technicians and engineers interpret quality signals and make real-time decisions that influence product reliability. 

NEARSHORING ECONOMICS: 

Economics will favor distributed clusters of specialized plants that excel in precision processes and high-reliability output, placing new value on regions that combine technical depth with operational agility 

GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS AND RARE EARTHS: 

Tensions will accelerate rare earth supply chain restructuring through mining-to-manufacturing realignment, allied supply corridors, and standards-driven trust - moving rare earths from a commodity issue to a strategic foundation for resilient AI and semiconductor manufacturing. 

SUSTAINABILITY AND RELIABILITY: 

Sustainability will translate into engineering precision, where durability, repairability, and traceability are built into materials, processes, and inspection systems. High-reliability manufacturing will define supplier qualification and long-term competitiveness across global electronics value chains. 

 Looking Ahead 

As the electronics value chain becomes more regionalized, more intelligent, and more standards-driven, collaboration across industry, government, and academia will be critical.