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East Asia's Electronics Dominance and AI with Sydney Xiao

Sydney Xiao, Global Electronics Association – East Asia President emphasizes the region's dominance in electronics manufacturing, particularly with the rise of AI. The association focuses on standards, workforce, technology, and collaboration to help members navigate AI opportunities, highlighting new IC substrate standards and advanced packaging initiatives.

Take the Mic: Photo Chemical Systems: 50 Years Strong

Photo Chemical Systems is celebrating 50 years in the bare board PCB market. David Graves and Jason Averette discuss how they've expanded into assembly, leveraging strong relationships and a customer-centric approach to navigate supply chain challenges. With innovative solutions and future growth strategies, including AI integration and new market ventures, Photo Chemical Systems continues enduring success.

PCB Process Innovations Explained with Rich DePoto

Richard DePoto details Uyemura's expanded PCB process solutions and their enhanced product portfolio, advanced IC substrate technology, and innovative approaches to high-frequency circuit manufacturing. Uyemura is committed to R&D and customized solutions for the electronics industry.

PHOTO GALLERY: A Show Floor Showcase, Part 2

Take a walk back through APEX EXPO with our photo gallery, capturing the faces, moments, and energy from across more than 400 booths on the show floor. This week, we’re highlighting our many customers, and some of the work in the I-Connect007 booth, where we conducted dozens of video and audio interviews. It’s a chance to see who was there, what was happening in real time, and maybe even spot yourself in the crowd.

My Top 7 Takeaways from APEX EXPO 2026

I’m back from APEX EXPO 2026 in Anaheim, California, and it was another great year. Even amid significant global volatility, the industry is growing, innovating, and building partnerships. As I reflect on the experience, I want to share my top 7 takeaways and explain why each matters. First is this year’s Advanced Electronics Packaging Conference (AEPC) , which delivered outstanding, peer-reviewed content and strong participation, reflecting how central advanced electronics packaging has become across the industry.

Women in Electronics Keynote Review: A Life and Career Filled With Humor

In an industry that was dominated by male comedians, Jan McInnis quickly learned an important tip to help her succeed in the business: Don’t ask for permission to be yourself. “Don’t try to be something you’re not,” she said after headlining the Women in Electronics event at APEX EXPO 2026. “They’re paying for you and what you bring to the table, so put your blinders on, and just do your thing.”

Henger Targets AI PCB Challenges With Advanced Plasma Technology

Henger is pushing the boundaries of PCB manufacturing with its dynamic, next-generation plasma technology, purpose-built for the demands of AI-driven electronics. As designs move toward higher density, faster speeds, and advanced materials like M9 laminates, Henger’s innovative plasma systems deliver precise, uniform, and energy-efficient processing. In this interview, company leaders, Zhiquang Li and Ping Tang discuss how their cutting-edge solutions are redefining cleaning, surface activation, and process control—positioning plasma technology as a critical enabler of reliability and performance in the rapidly evolving AI hardware landscape.

Electronics Industry Economic Outlook 2026 with Shawn DuBravac

As Chief Economist for the Global Electronics Association, Shawn DuBravac analyzes global economic uncertainties, including geopolitical conflicts and their impact on energy prices. In this interview, he highlights sector-specific growth in defense, aerospace, and AI, contrasting with weaker consumer and industrial markets. Supply chain reconfigurations and emerging technology trends are also discussed.

Ensuring the Next Generation of U.S. Weapons Has Homegrown Electronics

The U.S. has in the works several new weapons to counter emerging enemy threats. These include new warships, fighter aircraft, bombers, submarines, drones and a network of air defenses to defend the entire U.S. against missile and air attacks. And yet the U.S. will be challenged to produce key electronics within these systems known as printed circuit boards (PCBs), which are primarily sourced domestically. While the U.S. government has played a key role in helping to revive the domestic semiconductor industry, with the exception of some funding through the Defense Product Act it has largely ignored domestic production of PCBs.

New, Greener Solutions for Etch: Novel Copper Extraction

“Novel” is a typical marketing phrase that implies new and unique, but often “novel” actually means an established technology being applied to a new field or application. This, in turn, is often driven by newly relevant external motivation. GreenSource has been working on just such a solution: novel copper extraction, offering a better and greener alternative to traditional LLE control systems for cupric chloride etch.

PHOTO GALLERY: A Show Floor Showcase

Take a walk back through APEX EXPO with our photo gallery, capturing the faces, moments, and energy from across more than 400 booths on the show floor. This week, we’re highlighting our many customers, and some of the work in the I-Connect007 booth, where we conducted dozens of video and audio interviews. It’s a chance to see who was there, what was happening in real time, and maybe even spot yourself in the crowd.

What APEX EXPO Award Recipients See for the Future of Electronics Manufacturing

The single most transformative shift in the electronics manufacturing industry over the next decade will be the convergence of AI-driven design with advanced packaging architectures, according to some of the APEX EXPO 2026 award recipients, but success will rely on how well the industry bridges the talent gap. Recent award recipients express optimism over technological breakthroughs, from chiplet platforms and copper-to-copper hybrid bonding, to fighting the increasing incidence of conductive anodic filamentation (CAF) in flight hardware. Others see a workforce that can’t accelerate as quickly as the technology.

Educational Highlights From the APEX EXPO 2026 Show Floor

APEX EXPO 2026 featured many legacy treasures, but it was the inaugural year for the Technology Pavilion, which featured 10 speakers over two days. It was just one feature on the show floor that specifically highlighted technical learning and innovation. Topics presented at the Technology Pavilion included copper nanoparticle inkjet printing on rigid PCBs, how AI and collaboration can level up an electronics supply chain, accelerating the design-to-manufacturing flow, and automated spatial micro-sectioning.

Take the Mic: Global Expansion Insights with Sunshine Global Circuits

Join Dan Beaulieu and Jimmy Fang, VP of global development for Sunshine Global Circuits (SGC), in this booth interview. SGC has extensive global operations, including their new expansion in Malaysia. Fang outlines his company's commitment to high-tech PCB manufacturing and shares insights into their capabilities, market focus, and future growth strategies.

Schmoll America: Adapting to Customer Needs

Evan Howard discusses the positive industry outlook, highlighting a customer shift towards appreciating advanced technical support and application insights. He emphasizes Schmoll America's commitment to partnership and their innovative solutions for PCB manufacturing, including microvias and picosecond lasers.

Remtec: Advanced Ceramic PCB Solutions

Explore Remtec's advanced PCTF® technology and its critical role in power electronics and heat dissipation. Dan Beaulieu and Brian Buyea chat about Remtec's US-based manufacturing capabilities, innovative assembly processes, and the superior thermal conductivity of their ceramic substrates. Remtec is shaping the future of high-performance components for defense, aerospace, and automotive industries.

The Electronics Foundation: Empowering Students, Strengthening Industry

The Electronics Foundation may be one of the industry’s best-kept secrets, but its impact is anything but small. In this interview, Charlene Gunter and Gentry Manning discuss how the Foundation is building a pipeline of future electronics professionals through student chapters, scholarships, hands-on STEM programs, and global outreach. From high schools to universities, and from soldering kits to career exploration, they share how meaningful industry engagement is opening doors for students while helping manufacturers address workforce needs.

Webinar Review: The Challenges of UL Certification for Flex and Flex-Rigid PCBs

UL certification is one of an engineer’s least favorite topics, yet it is critically important. The process is complicated but relatively straightforward for standard rigid PCBs, but as Jan Pedersen makes clear in NCAB Group’s recent webinar, “UL Approval for Flex and Flex-Rigid PCBs,” it is a very different story.

Global Electronics Association Advocacy Update

Chris Mitchell, chief advocacy officer for the Global Electronics Association, details the association's enhanced advocacy and industry intelligence initiatives, including new hires and improved data analysis. He discusses critical global trade issues, recent tariff rulings, and the importance of strengthening North America's electronics ecosystem through USMCA collaboration.

I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

It’s been a busy week for many of us traversing the conference halls and exhibition floor at APEX EXPO in Anaheim, California. This is the 26th event since it was renamed APEX EXPO in 2000. For those who love trivia, and in reverence to the founders, a more accurate accounting is that 2026 marks its 33rd year, beginning in 1994 as the IPC Printed Circuits Expo. It’s always a great time to convene with old friends, colleagues, and customers, as well as to meet exciting new companies and individuals with interesting things to share. And afterwards, it’s always nice to get home.

APEX EXPO Opens Today With Ribbon Cutting and Sold-Out Show Floor

APEX EXPO officially opens today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony welcoming attendees onto the sold-out show floor in Anaheim, California. Standards committee meetings and professional development courses have been underway since the weekend, but Tuesday marks the official opening of the exhibition as more than 400 exhibitors prepare to showcase their latest equipment, materials, and technologies across 140,000 square feet of exhibit space.

Kevin O’Hanlon: A New Voice for Electronics on Capitol Hill

What do KFC, video games, and the Global Electronics Association have in common? The answer is Kevin O’Hanlon, the Association’s new vice president of North American Government Relations. Kevin’s career has included lobbying roles across multiple industries on Capitol Hill, including, most recently, six years at Samsung, a massive South Korean conglomerate. In his new role, Kevin outlines a mission centered on strengthening North American electronics manufacturing while maintaining a realistic global perspective.

I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

Cue up “The Final Countdown, the monster ’80s hit song by Swedish band Europe, because it’s almost APEX EXPO week. Side note: When it comes to rock anthems, I’m more of an “Eye of the Tiger” man, myself. Some folks are already arriving in Anaheim, as standards development committee work starts as early as tomorrow. The show continues through Thursday, March 19.

I-Connect007 to Launch Weekly Show & Tell Newsletter Series Featuring APEX EXPO Highlights

Building on our tradition of delivering comprehensive coverage of APEX EXPO 2026, I-Connect007 will present a five-episode Show & Tell Newsletter series, arriving in subscribers’ inboxes each Friday, March 27 to April 24. The special series will highlight key moments from the Global Electronics Association’s annual trade show, offering readers an inside look at the people, companies, and ideas shaping the electronics manufacturing industry.

UHDI, AI, and RF Materials: Signals From the Next Phase of Advanced Packaging

The upcoming issue of Advanced Electronics Packaging Digest explores several developments shaping the future of advanced electronics, from the convergence of IC substrates and ultra-high-density interconnect (UHDI) PCBs to the growing influence of artificial intelligence on semiconductor packaging and the materials science behind high-frequency system performance.
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