Latest Articles

Simon Khesin: A PCB Journey of Familiar and Unfamiliar Paths

In Driving Innovation, Simon Khesin shares his extraordinary path from Moscow engineer to global account manager at Schmoll Maschinen. His story spans risk, reinvention, and resilience—from designing drilling machines to starting over in Germany—and celebrates the freedom to create and the power of staying adaptable in a changing world.

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

Were you one of the lucky ones who made it to Europe’s largest electronics trade show this week? By all accounts, this massive event was buzzing with new technologies, packed booths, and plenty of tired feet by the end of each day. So, if you’re heading home from productronica (or, like me, just enjoying the end of a busy week), now’s the perfect time to unwind a bit. Settle into that airplane seat (or office chair), grab a snack, and catch up on some great reads from I-Connect007.

Voices of the Industry Features Elephantech’s Satoshi Konagai on the Future of Sustainable PCB Manufacturing

I-Connect007 is pleased to announce the release of the latest episode in its acclaimed podcast series, Voices of the Industry. In this episode, host Marcy LaRont speaks with Satoshi Konagai, Executive Officer and Head of Marketing of Elephantech, about the company’s groundbreaking additive manufacturing technology that’s reshaping the printed circuit board (PCB) industry.

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

I read an interesting article this week about a breakthrough on building microprocessors to run on microwaves rather than traditional digital circuitry. It cites an academic study that begins, “The development of high-bandwidth applications, including multi-gigabit communication and radar imaging, demands faster processing. However, in the microwave regime, where frequencies exceed clock rates, sampling and computation become challenging. Here we report an integrated microwave neural network for broadband computation and communication.”

The Impact of the AI Boom on PCB and Raw Materials Supply Chains

The PCB industry is entering a period of unprecedented structural change, driven by the demands of artificial intelligence and advanced computing. What was once a cyclical market has become a capacity race. It’s one that rewards foresight, collaboration, and strategic supply partnerships. Understanding these dynamics is essential for maintaining stability and growth across all market segments. This report, created by Ventec International Group, provides a clear view of how AI-driven demand is reshaping the PCB materials landscape and what actions are required to secure long-term supply.

Real Time with... productronica 2025: Looking Ahead to productronica, and a Stronger European Electronics Ecosystem

Next week at productronica, the Global Electronics Association Europe will be hosting a full program each day of the show at their booth in Hall A1. Philippe Leonard, head of the Association’s European office, recently shared what’s happening for our industry in Europe, details of the Hand Soldering World Championship at the show, a preview of a new Cable & Wire Harness competition kicking off in 2026, and information about the impressive lineup of speakers at the Electronics Industry Forum at the Association’s booth.

Advanced Electronics Packaging Digest: Third Issue Arrives November 17

The third issue of Advanced Electronics Packaging Digest launches Monday, November 17. This issue continues AEPD’s mission to deliver forward-looking analysis and insider perspectives on the technologies reshaping advanced electronics packaging. Among the highlights is a review of IMPACT 2025, where discussions on component-to-system-level integration took center stage as experts explored the challenges and breakthroughs driving advanced packaging technologies.

Real Time with... productronica 2025: Pluritec Previews X-ray, Drilling and Wet Processing Automation

Nolan Johnson catches up with Maurizio Bonati for a sneak peek at Pluritec's productronica program, and also an update on business in general. Listen to the conversation now and stay tuned for more exclusive coverage of productronica 2025 after the big event next week on realtimewith.com and featured in upcoming I-Connect007 Newsletters.

Becoming Grant-ready in the Private Sector

Companies in the electronics industry are expected to innovate faster, modernize operations, deliver resilient supply chains, and compete on a global stage. It’s a high bar to meet for manufacturers facing tightening margins, talent shortages, and evolving economic and policy conditions, but opportunities remain for those prepared to take action.

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

In electronics industry news, my picks start with Pete Starkey’s review of EIPC’s latest Technology Snapshot webinar. With all eyes on Europe as a pressure lever for ESG worldwide, Pete’s coverage is a must-read. Next, I want you to check out the new column by Leo Lambert on EPTAC, who provides a solid and complete overview of UHDI from concept to assembly. 

EIPC Technical Snapshot: Sustainability in Electronics Manufacturing

EIPC selected the highly topical issue of sustainability in electronics manufacturing for the 24th Technical Snapshot webinar on Oct. 29, with guest speakers Satoshi Konagai of Elephantech and Liisa Hakola of the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The program was moderated by Kirsten Smit-Westenberg, executive director of EIPC, who also introduced each speaker.

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

Last week, the IMPACT conference took place in Taipei, bringing together advanced packaging experts from around the globe to share their knowledge. We’ll be bringing you post-conference coverage over the next few weeks, so look for that in our newsletters, and in the Advanced Electronic Packaging Digest. Other news seemed to have the U.S. at the center of the global discussions. My picks start in Phoenix, where TSMC, NVIDIA, and Amkor are all scrambling to establish new capabilities. There’s nothing like a strong demand signal to cause build-out, and AI chips are doing exactly that.

Caught in the ESG Crossfire: Transparency, Comparability, and Impact

In the evolving landscape of corporate responsibility, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting has become a cornerstone of stakeholder communication. Yet, as organizations strive to meet growing regulatory and investor demands, they find themselves caught between the need for robust ESG disclosure, the persistent lack of comparability across reports, and the elusive goal of translating ESG efforts into tangible business value.

Building PCBs and Policy in Europe: Group ACB Champions Advocacy, Standards Development, and Technical Leadership

How 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.

Better Sustainability Policies for Electronics

I 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.

A New Era for Global Trade and Electronics

The global trade system is undergoing an enormous, systemic paradigm shift. For decades, the World Trade Organization (WTO), with the support of the United States, its traditional European allies, and many other nations, stood at the center of efforts to create fairer, more predictable, and rules-based commerce. Today, however, that model is giving way to a more fragmented reality—so far U.S.-driven—in which individual nations and blocs are striking deals and imposing a variety of rules of their own liking.

China Plus One: Vietnam and Thailand Manufacturing Solutions

U.S. electronics manufacturing companies are weighing the “China Plus One” solution as they strategize how best to mitigate the ever-increasing pressures and costs of manufacturing in China. Several global markets, particularly Thailand and Vietnam, are seeing significant growth in their sectors. This article breaks down the pros and cons of each market, including a look at U.S. tariffs and how each country is addressing a significant skilled labor gap to support their electronics manufacturing goals.

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

This week, we have quite a bit of international content in this week’s list of must-reads. Nothing happens in a vacuum, including electronics manufacturing and design, and this has been quite an eventful year. How many of us are now tariff experts? I’m certainly not, but that hasn’t stopped me from opining about the situation.

An EU at the Crossroads

The European Union stands at a crossroads. Over the past several years, geopolitical shifts have been increasingly shaping regional approaches to industrial policy and supply chain resiliency. The European Union is no different in this respect; its policies continue to be shaped by geopolitical and geo-economic developments.

FCT Leverages Flex Design and Total Build Solutions to Drive Innovation

What’s hot in flexible circuits right now? At PCB West, I spoke with Ben Savage, business development manager at Flexible Circuit Technologies (FCT), about their flex design services and end-markets where FCT sees the most flex activity. We also discussed the company’s focus on providing supply chain resiliency, as well as the constant search for new flex engineers. If you’re looking for a new opportunity in flexible circuits, FCT is hiring.

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

Much of the news over the last week focused on the push-pull between the U.S. and China and the latter’s most recent announcement about rare earth mineral restrictions. Despite that situation, the IMF raised its growth forecast, and global markets showed cautious optimism. Then, as the U.S. attempted to retreat from all environmentally based policy and ESG gains achieved to date, the global shipping emissions pact continues to gain momentum.

Waging the Battle for American PCB Reshoring

Legislation is shaping global trade, tariffs, and sustainability and environmental regulations. David Schild of PCBAA discusses exactly where the U.S. stands in its efforts to reshore printed circuit board manufacturing for critical industries. This conversation at PCB West occurred on the first day of the federal government’s shutdown, so it seemed especially timely to hear David's thoughts and insights on how the current political climate is affecting efforts to achieve the U.S. industry’s reshoring goals.

SEMICON West: The Path to a $1 Trillion Future

After more than 50 years in San Francisco, SEMICON West moved its 2025 show to Phoenix, which is significant because it highlights the importance of Arizona as a semiconductor and tech hub. Though the show will be back in San Francisco in 2026, the overwhelmingly warm welcome SEMI received from Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, and ASU President Michael Crowe—who has been responsible for ASU repeatedly achieving the U.S. News and World Reports most innovative university ranking—was remarked upon repeatedly. All indications are that SEMICON West may well be back in Phoenix after that 2026 season.

Is Glass Finally Coming of Age?

Substrates, by definition, form the base of all electronic devices. Whether discussing silicon wafers for semiconductors, glass-and-epoxy materials in printed circuits, or the base of choice for interposers, all these materials function as substrates. While other substrates have come and gone, silicon and FR-4 have remained the de facto standards for the industry.

New Course Presents a Comprehensive Guide to IPC Standards

Francisco Fourcade, electronics technology standards manager for the Global Electronics Association, has spent years helping companies understand and implement the standards that keep the electronics manufacturing industry moving forward. In this interview, he shares updates on ongoing standards development efforts and previews a new course, "IPC Standards: A Guide for the Electronics Industry,” which starts Oct. 14.
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