Elementary, Mr. Watson: The Rise and Fall of Europe's PCB Design Community
Connect the Dots: What PCB Designers Should Know About Materials
Designers Notebook: Implementing Strategic Planning Principles for PCB Design
The middle months of 2026 have been defined by, shall we say, “projects” throughout the industry, and as we approach the end of the third quarter, many of those projects are coming to light. That’s the theme I’m getting from this week’s news, and I tried to capture it with my selections.
My must-reads include a market update on the leading fabless semiconductor houses, a call to action from SEMI directed at the policymakers in the European Union, a rollup of workforce and educational programs announced just this week, a role change at Indium, and the relaunch of the Global Electronics Association Sustainability teams’ DMA Toolkit.
Top 10 Fabless IC Design Houses Post 73% YoY Growth in 2Q26; AMD Enters Top Three
Published September 11
Naturally, AI infrastructure continues to be the semiconductor industry’s 800-pound gorilla of demand. While mostly confirming the market driver trends we already know, this TrendForce report provides a great summary of what the leading IC design houses are doing to stay competitive.
SEMI Calls for Chips Act 2.0 to Boost Semiconductor Competitiveness
Published September 14
SEMI appeals to European policymakers to use the proposed Chips Act 2.0 to strengthen Europe’s semiconductor competitiveness, reinforce supply chain resilience, and sustain investment in the semiconductor value chain. SEMI outlines nine policy recommendations for Chips Act 2.0 to ensure Europe remains a vital part of the semiconductor ecosystem.
In a similar vein, the Printed Circuit Board Association of America made a similar argument in a recent op-ed piece.
Workforce Education
Published September 14 and 15
I’m breaking the rules here (as I do, sometimes) to lump three separate items together into one trending piece of news. Workforce programs are big news because they are strategically important. Moreover, announcements such as these are on the rise. Which begs the question you should be asking within your organization, “What are we doing as our part to train the next workforce?”
- Remtec Launches MIT-designed Employee Advanced Manufacturing Training Program with Cape Cod Community College (Published September 15)
- Intel Foundation, PLTW Expand Pathways to Semiconductor Careers (Published September 14)
- Microelectronics Network Launches Semiconductor Workforce Advisory Committee (Published September 14)
Indium Promotes Chris Bastecki to Business Unit Vice President
Published September 11
I don’t often put position announcement press releases in my must-reads, but I just recently interviewed Chris Bastecki for the September 2026 issue of SMT007 Magazine. His new position adds even more weight to what he shared in the interview. Reading both pieces of content is highly recommended.
Global Electronics Association Updates Sustainability Reporting Resource for the Electronics Industry
Published September 16
The Double Materiality Assessment (DMA) may be one of those instruments moving out of the realm of the specialist and into the mainstream. The DMA is a key requirement in the European Union’s sustainability directives and consists of a process to evaluate environmental, social, and governance (ESG), both how the company impacts the world and how the world's sustainability issues impact the company financially. The DMA Toolkit has been revised and updated, an indication of how much momentum sustainability is carrying. Read the article to learn how to get your copy of the DMA toolkit.
