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Making Connections with Associations
December 3, 2015 | Stephen Las Marias, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
In preparing for this month's issue of our magazines here at I-Connect007, we did a survey about the industry associations that our readers belong to know how active they are in their respective associations, how they rate the benefits that they receive from their associations, and the most important value they receive from belonging to their associations.
Our readers also provided some recommendations to help improve the associations they belong to, including more training on new technologies, cooperation with other associations, even more networking opportunities, and, of course, lowering cost of memberships.
So to provide them more information on their associations, this month's issue of SMT Magazine features articles and interviews about these associations, including SMTA, IPC, iNEMI, SMART Group, and VDMA Productronics, to help them understand more their activities, goals, and missions (and why membership entails costs, of course).
We have Bill Barthel, president of the Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA), discussing the association’s conference offerings and various opportunities for members; longtime SMTA Executive Administrator JoAnn Stromberg’s pending departure; and the way forward for the association. In another article, Tanya Martin, director of operations at SMTA, who will take the baton from JoAnn, discusses SMTA’s activities, programs, and how to best serve its membership.
IPC President and CEO John Mitchell, meanwhile, explains the association’s goals and basic mission, activities, and how it promotes technology development in the industry through standardization.
Keith Bryant, chairman of SMART Group, talks about the association and how it is helping companies cope with the challenges of surface mount technology, and promoting advanced manufacturing technologies. Dr. Eric Maiser, managing director of Productronics—a sector group under the Electronics, Micro and Nano Technologies sector association of VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen-und Anlagenbau – German Engineering Federation)—discusses the group’s composition, its activities and its services for its members in the electronics manufacturing industry.
We also have Bill Bader, CEO of iNEMI (International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative), discussing how iNEMI formulates its roadmap for the industry, including some of the consortium’s milestones in terms of the role it played in the transition to lead-free, addressing tin whisker growth, and moving towards HFR-free PCB materials.
Finally, we have Arthur Tan, chairman of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc. (SEIPI), who spoke about the association, its main goals and vision, and how it helps members in their journey from being local manufacturers to becoming global players in the electronics manufacturing field.
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