American Made Advocacy: Smart Policies Can Ensure AI Data Centers Are Secure
Beyond the Board: Early Engagement Means Faster Prototyping for Defense Programs
Defense Speak Interpreted: The Autonomous Plane Battle—Skyborg Vs. Loyal Wingman
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
January 6, 2023 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
The youngsters are back in school, and we’re all back to work. The water is back on for most of us in Atlanta; when temps dropped down to 8 degrees Fahrenheit, our pipes started bursting left and right. After a Christmas dinner with no water, I have a new appreciation for H2O
It’s been a busy week, and we published a variety of articles, columns, and news items. In this week’s top five, we have news about the market in Southeast Asia, a look at what the CHIPS Act really entails, a deep dive into CMMC, and a peek at how printed electronics developers are using flexible circuit concepts to facilitate PEC. We also say goodbye to a Top Gun PCB designer who left us way too soon.
Southeast Asia PCB Industry Report 2023-2032: Sector Set to Grow as Living Standards Increase
Published January 5
Interesting news from Southeast Asia: The standard of living is rising there, and PCB sales are expected to continue to grow. But it’s a mixed bag. Check out the different per capita GDP for Singapore vs. Cambodia. We can expect the PCB industry to keep expanding in Southeast Asia, because these countries have vast labor resources and fairly friendly business environments.
Ventec: Contextualizing the CHIPS Act
Published January 5
There’s been a lot of talk about the CHIPS Act, which Washington hopes will attract investment in semiconductor development and manufacturing to the U.S. But what does this legislation actually mean for the electronics industry? Ventec’s Alun Morgan and Mark Goodwin share their thoughts on the nuts and bolts of this act, and its potential effect on our industry.
PCB Designer Dave Graves Has Passed Away
Published January 3
Sorry to hear about Dave Graves, who passed away just before Christmas as 65. I first met Dave when he won the Top Gun design competition at PCB West 20 years ago. He co-founded UltraCAD and spent years working at Monsoon Solutions. He was a great guy; the industry will miss him.
A CMMC ‘Plan B’
Published January 5
If you’re like me (and who isn’t?), you’ve been wondering about all the hullabaloo regarding CMMC. Well, you’re in luck. Divyash Patel of MX2 Technology has a great article in the newest issue of SMT007 Magazine that explains everything you need to know about the latest developments in Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification.
Happy’s Tech Talk #15: Printed Electronics Using Flex
Published January 5
I’ve always seen printed electronics and flexible circuits as similar technologies; now it looks like these two love birds may be headed to the altar. In his column, Happy Holden explains how PEC technologists are using flex technology concepts to facilitate new applications. No one doubts PEC’s usefulness, but it seems to have plateaued over time. Will this arranged marriage with flex enable PEC to finally become the disruptive technology that many analysts predicted a decade ago?
Share on:
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
I-Connect007 Welcomes New Columnist: Leo Lambert
10/30/2025 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 is excited to announce a column by Leo Lambert, an industry veteran with 40 years of experience, an award winner, and technical director at EPTAC.
Cicor to Acquire UK-Based TT Electronics with Board Support
10/30/2025 | Cicor Technologies Ltd.Cicor is a globally active provider of full-cycle electronic solutions (EMS) for the healthcare technology, industrial, and aerospace & defense sectors. TT is a UK-based, London Stock Exchange-listed global provider of engineered electronics for performance critical applications.
Building PCBs and Policy in Europe: Group ACB Champions Advocacy, Standards Development, and Technical Leadership
10/30/2025 | Linda Stepanich, Community MagazineHow does a European PCB manufacturer navigate the competitive manufacturing landscape in Europe? By participating in standards development committee meetings, testifying before the European Commission on industry issues, and sponsoring hand-soldering competitions in the region. Group ACB, based in France and Belgium, focuses on high-reliability applications. The 37-year-old company is also active in the Global Electronics Association, giving credit for helping ACB to raise awareness of electronics manufacturing in Europe.
Highlights at productronica 2025
10/29/2025 | productronicaJust a few more weeks to go before the anniversary edition of productronica. The world’s leading trade fair for the development and production of electronics celebrates its 50th anniversary this fall. From November 18 to 21, Munich will once again be the meeting place for the international electronics industry.
Better Sustainability Policies for Electronics
10/29/2025 | Diana Radovan, Global Electronics AssociationI joined the Global Electronics Association in August 2025 as the director of sustainability policy. Since then, much has happened in terms of geopolitics and in the development and re-envisioning of sustainability policies in the industry. While the European Commission has released several legislative packages to simplify sustainability requirements (“omnibus”), these developments haven’t yet settled and are not in effect. Given the many recent and ongoing public consultations, with often conflicting input from a broad range of stakeholders, final negotiations remain rather polarized among policymakers.