Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘The Next RenAIssance: AI and the Expansion of Human Potential’
The Chemical Connection: When the Industry Moves Faster Than the Standards
Driving Innovation: Selecting the Right Laser Source
APEX EXPO Opens Today With Ribbon Cutting and Sold-Out Show Floor
March 17, 2026 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
APEX EXPO officially opens today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony welcoming attendees onto the sold-out show floor in Anaheim, California.
Standards committee meetings and professional development courses have been underway since the weekend, but Tuesday marks the official opening of the exhibition as more than 400 exhibitors prepare to showcase their latest equipment, materials, and technologies across 140,000 square feet of exhibit space.
The convention center was crowded over the weekend with cheerleaders and dancers donning exaggerated bouffant hair and copious amounts of dark makeup, as is often the case when other events are co-located with APEX EXPO.
But spirits were high inside the weekend and Monday sessions, especially as task force and committee members reviewed slides and opened it up for comments.
Hosted by the Global Electronics Association, APEX EXPO is widely recognized as North America’s premier event for electronics manufacturing. Engineers, manufacturers, designers, and industry leaders from around the world gather here to explore new innovations, discuss emerging challenges, and share ideas shaping the future of electronics production.
On Monday, industry executives gathered for the EMS Leadership Summit to discuss the evolving business landscape for EMS providers through presentations and panel discussions. More than 60 Emerging Engineers were welcomed at an evening reception, giving early-career professionals an opportunity to connect with industry leaders and gain insights into the technologies and trends shaping the field. We’ve chatted with them and will be sharing more of their stories in the days to come.
John Mitchell opened the Global Electronics Association’s first-ever Advanced Electronics Packaging Technical Conference by stating that this now goes beyond just chips, and emphasizing that the collaborative nature of this conference will be an illustration of the type of continuous collaboration that must be undertaken across the industry.
Next, CTO Matt Kelly said, “This (conference) is transforming. The pillars that we have built over the years in PCB and assembly technology is very important. But as we are seeing, everything follows silicon. Though we may be tempted to say component-level-packaging is not my job, I beg to differ.”
The technical conference started Monday and concludes with two special sessions on Thursday. There was a 73% acceptance rate of papers, 26 topic tracks, and 32 Professional Development courses offered this year.
Then, Devan Iyer, chief strategist for advanced electronic packaging, shared five crucial market segments: AI/data center/HPC; 5G/6G; IoT/smart home; automotive and industrial; and aerospace and defense. He explained the complexity of the ecosystem and the connectedness it requires, and announced that the new Advanced Electronic Packaging Technology Leadership Council (ADEPT) will have 24 company member and a recent contribution to HIR roadmap with IEEE.
The two keynotes were Dr. David Lokken-Toyli from the IBM Quantum group, whose presentation was likely mind-blowing to some. He entreated us to help IBM achieve its mission to “bring useful quantum computing to the world. You can help us get there.” He was followed by Dr. Ravi Mahajan of Intel, who presented advanced packaging as an enabler for heterogeneous packaging.
Meanwhile, the exhibition floor will be buzzing as companies demonstrate solutions ranging from advanced PCB fabrication and assembly equipment to automation, inspection, and materials technologies designed to improve manufacturing efficiency, quality, and sustainability. One of the best parts of an expo like this is the amount of machines and other technical equipment available for view.
The I-Connect007 team will be reporting throughout the week with exclusive interviews, Real Time with… APEX EXPO video conversations, and daily highlights capturing the people, technology, and ideas driving the industry forward.
Marcy LaRont contributed to this article.
Share on:
Testimonial
"In a year when every marketing dollar mattered, I chose to keep I-Connect007 in our 2025 plan. Their commitment to high-quality, insightful content aligns with Koh Young’s values and helps readers navigate a changing industry. "
Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/01/2026 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007If it feels like the PCB industry is accelerating faster than ever, you’re not imagining it. From advanced materials driven by AI applications to renewed investment in domestic manufacturing—and the next generation stepping into critical roles—there’s a lot shifting at once. My selections for this week highlight where the pressure points are forming, and where the opportunities are emerging.
The Missing Connection: Wire Harness Quoting Joins the Digital Age
05/01/2026 | Joanne Harris, Tech-2marketingWalk the floor of a modern wire harness manufacturing facility, and the investment in technology is hard to miss. Automated wire cutting and stripping machines process thousands of cuts an hour with sub-millimeter precision. Computerized crimping presses deliver consistent, validated terminations that a hand tool never could. Laser wire markers, automated test benches, and vision-guided assembly stations represent hundreds of thousands of dollars of capital investment, all in service of building a better harness faster and more reliably than the competition.
EPTAC Expands. New HQ in Salem, NH, Draws Industry Leaders
04/30/2026 | EPTAC CorporationEPTAC, a global leader in electronics manufacturing training, has opened its new corporate headquarters and training facility in Salem, New Hampshire, expanding its capacity to support workforce development across North America.
From Backbone to Breakthroughs: I-Connect007 Wraps PCB Materials Series with Focus on Innovation
04/30/2026 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 wraps up its six-part podcast series, PCB Materials: The Backbone and Future of Electronics, with Episode 6 and a discussion focusing on innovation. In Episode 6, Marcy LaRont speaks with Isola CTO Kirk Thompson about a critical turning point for the PCB industry as innovation accelerates. As data rates climb and demands from AI infrastructure, power density, flexible electronics, photonics, and chiplet integration intensify, traditional material assumptions are no longer sufficient.
Global Electronics Association and CalcuQuote, an Elisa Industriq Business, Launch Joint Supply Chain Intelligence Initiative
04/29/2026 | Global Electronics AssociationThe Global Electronics Association and CalcuQuote, Elisa Industriq today announced a partnership to deliver timely, actionable supply chain intelligence for the electronics industry.