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From Backbone to Breakthroughs: I-Connect007 Wraps PCB Materials Series with Focus on Innovation
May 6, 2026 | I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
I-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. Thompson explains how advanced materials are enabling higher speeds, improved thermal management, and tighter dimensional control, while still maintaining manufacturability.
“The merging of PCBs and advanced packaging is both exciting and challenging, requiring substrate-like precision at scale. In the end, early collaboration across the ecosystem and smarter, more integrated materials will shape the next generation of cutting-edge PCBs,” says LaRont.
Find this podcast series on Apple, Spotify, and in I-Connect007’s Industry Resource Center. Listeners can also download the free companion guide to this series.
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