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EMS Leaders Express Optimism Through Growth and Expansion
March 18, 2026 | Mark Wolfe, Global Electronics AssociationEstimated reading time: 1 minute
It was a strong opening day for APEX EXPO 2026, with a keynote by Zach Kass on the AI revolution, followed by a ribbon-cutting to officially open the event, which featured Irish dancers on this St. Patrick’s Day, and opening remarks by Global Electronics Association CEO John Mitchell.
But I’d like to tell you about the EMS Leadership Summit on Monday, where approximately 60 EMS industry leaders from 40 companies participated. There were several speakers, a panel discussion, and discussion groups.
At a high level, the group expressed optimism, with roughly two-thirds of companies reporting growth and expecting continued expansion in 2026. Inventories are balanced at both the raw-material and customer levels, suggesting the industry has returned to a more normalized environment. Hiring plans also indicated increasing confidence.
AI has clearly transitioned from curiosity to early adoption, with companies beginning to apply it to real operational challenges such as visibility, quoting, and data analysis. One of the barriers is now cultural—building workforce trust that AI is an aid to productivity rather than a threat. At the same time, data integrity and systems integration are becoming more visible as constraints, as fragmented ERP, MES, and data environments limit the ability to fully leverage AI and improve decision-making.
External volatility—tariffs, cost pressures, and geopolitical factors—remains present but is increasingly viewed as manageable.
The next phase of performance will be determined by how effectively companies continue to integrate systems, develop workforce capability, and use AI to extend human judgment. Those that do will unlock meaningful productivity and responsiveness gains; those that do not risk falling behind, not because of market conditions, but because of slower adoption of new technologies and tools.
APEX EXPO continues Wednesday and Thursday and I look forward to learning more about how AI is being integrated into so many facets of our industry.
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