I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
September 2, 2022 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

The CHIPS Act continues to captivate the attention of industry insiders, as evidenced by the reader interest in our U.S. legislation coverage. When talking with all of you, we hear a wide range of opinion regarding the CHIPS Act funding, ranging from enthusiasm to cynicism—sometimes in the same conversation with the same person. You can expect ongoing coverage as news continues to unfold. Advanced packaging and the CHIPS Act are increasingly being linked together on the printed circuit side of the industry conversation. Perfect timing, then, that IPC is hosting a symposium on advanced packaging October 11-12 in Washington, D.C.
The IPC reports on North American PCB fabrication and EMS industry released this week, and the news is good, but with a veil of caution. Not so much cautionary news from Nano Dimension, however, as evidenced in their announcement this week.
Finally, next Monday, September 6, is the U.S. Labor Day Holiday. We’ll still bring you Monday’s newsletter and track the news of the industry even while the U.S.-based staff pauses to observe the holiday.
A Deeper Look at the CHIPS Act Investment
Published August 29
Where and how will the $52 billion in the CHIPS Act be spent? Who will decide how the funds are allocated? Who will benefit the most from this boost into the microelectronics industry? In this interview with Chris Peters at U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics (USPAE), we seek a better understanding regarding the implications of funding the CHIPS Act.
Print, Recycle, Repeat: Scientists Demonstrate a Biodegradable Printed Circuit
Published August 31
According to the United Nations, less than a quarter of all U.S. electronic waste gets recycled. In 2021 alone, global e-waste surged at 57.4 million tons, and only 17.4% of that was recycled. Some experts predict that our e-waste problem will only get worse over time. This news item details current research at Berkeley Lab to develop a fully recyclable and biodegradable circuit board.
North American EMS Industry Up 22.7% in July
Published August 26
The performance metrics in the August Industry report align with the experiences and analysis in the September issue of SMT007 Magazine, which has just published. The upshot is that many of the simultaneous economic pressures are beginning to ease, and this easing shows in the numbers.
North American PCB Industry Sales Up 4.5% in July
Published August 26
The PCB fabrication metrics for August suggest that demand is easing for PCB fabrication. Meanwhile, shipments continue strong as backlog is cleared. Going into September and October, it will be interesting to see if this softening in PCB fab demand might also appear further downstream in the EMS metrics. Stay tuned and check back with I-Connect007 to find out.
Nano Dimension Reports 1,268% Revenue Increase in 2Q22
Published September 1
“The efforts of our newly assembled Go-To-Market organization are indeed showing results, manifested by an impressive growth in revenue,” according to Nano’s news this week. “It includes Nano Dimension’s network of marketing, sales, pre and post sales application engineers and customer care engineers across Europe and the U.S. Their efforts are indeed substantial and effective, especially with the occurrences of unforeseen events, especially the slowdown in Europe resulting from the industrial players’ reaction to the evolving war in Ukraine as well as the crisis in electronic components’ supply chain.”
This report discusses the financials behind that 1,268% revenue increase, and to explain how Nano Dimension achieved that growth. If AM and AME components are on your technology roadmap, this makes for good reading.
Suggested Items
OE-A Elects New International Board of Directors
02/07/2025 | OE-AThe members of the OE-A (Organic and Printed Electronics Association) appointed Dr. Alain Schumacher, IEE, as the new Chair of the Board of Directors at the end of January. Dr. Luke Pan, Brilliant Optoelectronic Technology is the new Vice Chair for Asia. Dr. Carsten L. Herzhoff, Lohmann, and Dr. Chloé Bois, ICI, are elected as Vice Chair Europe and North America respectively.
New IPC White Paper Focuses on Use of Artificial Intelligence in Automated Optical Inspection in Electronics Manufacturing
02/06/2025 | IPCA new white paper, “Unlocking AI for Automated Optical Inspection” released today by IPC’s Chief Technologist Council, focuses on AI’s role in AOI processes for printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs). According to data within the white paper, recent advancements in technology, particularly in Cloud AI, IoT and Smart Manufacturing, have provided opportunities to further enhance AOI performance.
First Pan-European Electronics Design Conference (PEDC) in Vienna Inspires Participants from 20 Countries
02/06/2025 | IPCThe first Pan-European Electronics Design Conference (PEDC) in Vienna was a great success The new international conference, organized by Fachverband Elektronikdesign und -fertigung e. V. (FED) and IPC, brought together experts and industry representatives from 20 countries and four continents.
Siti's Recipe for Success: Siti Wahab's Thriving EMS Business in Malaysia
02/05/2025 | Michelle Te, IPC CommunitySiti Padillah Binti Abdul Wahab has a simple recipe for success: Believe in yourself, pursue knowledge and experience, embrace challenges, and build a support network as you aim for leadership roles. As one of just a handful of women in leadership roles in the EMS industry in Malaysia, she also advocates for inclusivity and takes time to celebrate her achievements.
Koh Young Highlights Inspection Solutions at IPC APEX EXPO 2025
02/04/2025 | Koh YoungKoh Young, the industry leader in True3D measurement-based inspection solutions and the exclusive Premier Sponsor of IPC APEX EXPO 2025, invites electronics manufacturers to Booth 2130 for live demonstrations of its award-winning inspection technologies.