2026 IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference to Feature Keynote Address by ASE CEO Dr. Tien Wu

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

The 76th annual IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC) will be held from May 26-29, 2026 at the JW Marriott & The Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes Resort, Orlando, Florida. The premier international event for semiconductor packaging, components, and microelectronic systems, ECTC 2026 will bring together more than 2,000 scientists and engineers for an exchange of technical information and breakthrough research.

ECTC 2026 is the flagship conference of the IEEE Electronics Packaging Society, delivering a technical program of more than 450 papers in 41 technical sessions, including five interactive presentations, one of which is a student session; 12 special sessions on selected topics; a series of 16 CEU-approved professional development opportunities; more than 130 exhibits representing industry-leading product and service companies from around the world; and multiple social events and student outreach activities to provide networking opportunities.

Topics in the ECTC 2026 program include advanced packaging technologies such as wafer-level and fan-out packaging, 2.5D, 3D & heterogeneous integration, interposers, advanced substrates, materials modeling, reliability, interconnections, packaging for high-speed and high-bandwidth, photonics, quantum electronics, as well as flexible and printed electronics..

“Advanced packaging has evolved from a back-end protection process into a front-line enabler of system-level innovation,” said Bora Baloglu, ECTC 2026 Technical Program Chair and Director of Business Development at Intel Foundry Services. “These technologies are now essential for driving the massive computing power required for AI infrastructure, data centers, and high-performance computing (HPC).”

The 2026 IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference program highlights include:

Keynote Address: Wednesday, May 27

Advanced Packaging & the Future of System Optimization, by Dr. Tien Wu, CEO of Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE).

As global AI infusion redefines performance, power, and integration requirements, advanced packaging is at the forefront of semiconductor innovation. As chip architecture complexity increases, the industry is progressing beyond device-level scaling toward system-level optimization. Advances in heterogeneous integration and packaging-enabled co-design are shaping more efficient, scalable, and resilient systems. Moving forward, system-centric strategies that align architecture, packaging, and collaboration across the ecosystem will be paramount to shaping the golden era of AI and semiconductors.

Special Sessions: Tuesday, May 26 – Friday, May 29

ECTC 2026 includes a series of Special Sessions, which feature industry experts discussing technology status and roadmaps in key areas of interest, including:

• Quantum Infrastructure for AI Applications: Packaging Challenges and Roadmap
• New Packaging Technologies Enabled By Panel Level Integration
• AI-Enabled Electronic Design Automation for Multi-Physics Advanced Packaging
• Photonics-Based Systems for AI and Exascale Computing
• System Integration Challenges of Large-Size and High-Power Components for High-Performance Computing and AI Applications
• Electrical-Thermal-Mechanical Co-Design in High-Performance Packaging
• Enabling Next-Generation Advanced Packaging Technology from Wafer to Panel
• Innovative Materials for Advanced Packaging – Materials for Packaging, Integration, and Performance
• IEEE EPS Seminar: Redefining System Integration – The Rise of Organic Substrates in the Chiplet Era
• ECTC 2026 Plenary Session: Efficiency Is Not Enough – Are We Solving the Wrong Problem in the Data Center Energy Use?
• IEEE EPS President’s Panel: Data Centers in the Age of AI – Challenges and Solutions

Student Innovation Challenge: Wednesday, May 27

Six winning student teams will have the opportunity to attend ECTC 2026 with financial assistance. Students in Bachelors and Masters programs will compete on the topic:

• Low-cost Robust Thermal Solution for High Power AI/Datacenter Processor

PhD students will compete in one of two topics:

• Materials, Interfaces, & Processes for Ultra-Scalable Interconnects
• Electromigration Solutions for BGA Interconnects in AI-Focused Packages

Startup Competition: Thursday, May 28

Under the theme “The Light Age: Strategic Investment in Photonics to Power the Next Computing Era,” start-up companies will pitch their innovative ideas to a panel, followed by audience Q&A, jury deliberation, and then awards and a networking event.

Professional Development Courses: Tuesday, May 26

In addition to the technical program, ECTC 2026 offers 16 Professional Development Courses (PDCs). These four-hour courses on relevant electronic packaging topics are taught by world-class experts, enabling participants to broaden their technical knowledge base. Attendees will be awarded either CEU (continuing education units) or PDH (professional development hours) credits. These courses are offered in conjunction with the co-located IEEE ITherm Conference, which focuses on thermal/thermomechanical issues in electronic systems.