Monday Recap: Optimism and Economics at IPC APEX EXPO

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It was a packed house for two large events at IPC APEX EXPO on Monday, Jan. 23, as the EMS Leadership Summit was wrapped in the pale veil of caution, meanwhile hundreds more gathered to hear from IPC’s chief economist, Shawn DuBravac.

At the EMS summit, the morning presenters from IPC all shared silver linings they saw inside the fading clouds of uncertainty: 

• Chris Mitchell spoke to the growing success in educating government leaders globally on the importance of the electronics manufacturing industry.
• Kelly Scanlon announced the Sustainability for Electronics Leadership Council, which kicks off in March.
• Shawn DuBravac observed that, while the industry will likely see subdued growth in 2023, the industry leaders are more optimistic than they want to admit. 

The rest of the day was peppered with meaty panels including high-caliber speakers, and roundtable discussions on supply chain dynamics, cybersecurity and CMMC, workforce training programs, and continuous improvement. 

DuBravac delivered a keynote address titled “What's New in Tech: The Micro Trends Defining the Future of Electronics,” which was introduced by IPC President and CEO John Mitchell.

It was delivered in impressive style, with touches of humour and irony balancing some serious messages as he explored how technology is converging with myriad industries and effectively re-wiring every aspect of society. 

Referring back to the analogue world of not long ago, he commented how quickly our environment has become digitised and predicted that the next big transformation will define the coming decade—the transformation from digitisation to “datafication” turning many aspects of our life into data, subsequently transferred into information and realised as a new form of value. 

Monday also saw more committee meetings, receptions, and a forum on e-textiles, as well as the official launch of IPC Community, a quarterly publication now available for free digital download.

IPC APEX EXPO officially opens the show floor on Tuesday, Jan. 24 and continues through Thursday, Jan. 26. Organizers expect record crowds on the show floor, in the design competition and at the STEM events on Wednesday and Thursday.