The Real Infrastructure Crisis: Skills that Depreciate Faster than Hardware

By John W. Mitchell, President and CEO, Global Electronics Association

Key Summary

• Massive AI investment is accelerating technology adoption, while spending on workforce training continues to decline.

• Skills are now depreciating faster than hardware, creating a critical but overlooked infrastructure risk for employers.

• The electronics industry offers a clear preview of rapid skills obsolescence driven by fast innovation cycles.

• Future competitiveness depends on permanent upskilling and treating workforce skills as a managed strategic asset.

Over the past year, Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon have poured $360 billion into capital expenditures, mostly to build and power AI. Across the economy, companies are racing to buy AI tools, automate workflows, and deploy agents faster than their competitors.

AI is reshaping the economy at a pace with almost no historical precedent. Consider this: ChatGPT reached 365 billion annual searches in just two years. Google needed 11 years to hit the same milestone. 

But while investment in machines is exploding, investment in people isn’t even close.  In fact, both the number of hours individuals spend on formal training and the average employer expenditure on training have declined slightly in recent years. This comes at a moment when skills are depreciating faster than hardware.  But for employers, ensuring that our human capital keeps pace with our technological capital isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s vital. 

The Electronics Industry as a Preview of What’s Coming

You can already see the future in the electronics sector, where innovation cycles are so extreme that yesterday’s expertise is nearly obsolete.

Engineers who once built careers around 3G and LTE standards now face a world dominated by 5G, ultra-wideband, and soon terahertz-range communications. Materials science is shifting just as quickly: silicon’s long reign is giving way to gallium nitride, and early breakthroughs in graphene and other novel materials are rewriting the road map for next-generation semiconductors.

These shifts don’t just require new products. They require new skills.

Hardware engineers suddenly need strong software instincts. Factory technicians need fluency in automation, robotics, and AI-driven quality control. Entire subfields now demand workers who can operate at the intersection of the physical and digital worlds.

What’s happening in electronics is simply the most visible version of what’s about to hit every sector.

The Coming Economy of Permanent Upskilling

For decades, we’ve talked about “lifelong learning” as a nice idea—something individuals should probably do when they have time. But AI leaves no room for half measures.

Every role in every industry is about to change. Some gradually, many abruptly. And unless companies treat human capability the same way they treat any other strategic asset—something that requires upkeep, investment, and long-term planning—they will fall behind.

This isn’t a question of corporate benevolence. It’s a question of competitiveness.

Skills Depreciation: The Asset Employers Aren’t Managing

Companies already track depreciation on servers, software licenses, and physical equipment. Yet the asset most vulnerable to obsolescence, the skill base of their workforce, rarely gets similar attention.

That must change.

This piece argues that skills depreciation should be treated as a core management responsibility rather than a workforce development talking point. Sector-wide career pathways, employer-led upskilling, and public-private investment models are no longer optional; they’re the infrastructure required to operate in an AI-accelerated economy.

Machines are getting smarter at an exponential rate. Humans can, too, but only if we build systems that make continuous skill renewal as routine as upgrading hardware.

By Kelly Scanlon, Lead Sustainability Strategist, Global Electronics Association

Key Summary

• Sustainability compliance is expanding beyond core regulations, increasing focus on conflict minerals, forced labor, and global policy alignment.
• Sustainability data management has become strategic, with companies facing fragmented systems across multiple regulatory frameworks.
• Industry seeks stronger engagement with policymakers to align regulations with real-world manufacturing challenges.
• Operational execution remains critical, from circular materials management to day-to-day sustainability decisions.
• Collaboration, critical materials, and workforce readiness are growing concerns across the wire and cable supply chain.

At WHMA’s Annual Global Leadership Summit, I represented Evolve and co-hosted a Best Practice Roundtable on Managing Sustainability Compliance and Reporting Requirements with Mark Rogers, senior product stewardship coordinator for Southwire’s wire and cable products.

The roundtable included industry leaders for an open, practical discussion on the realities of sustainability compliance today, and what’s needed next. In addition to the roundtable, my conversations with exhibitors on the show floor offered a broader view of how sustainability is showing up across the wire and cable supply chain.

Here are my key takeaways from both.

1. Sustainability compliance is expanding beyond the “core” regulations

Roundtable participants were well-versed in major regulatory obligations affecting WHMA members, and those requirements served as a helpful starting point for discussion. Many participants expressed interest in better understanding how additional policies, such as conflict minerals and forced labor regulations, apply to their operations. Just as important, they emphasized the need for stronger advocacy and more consistent engagement with policymakers, particularly as requirements continue to evolve across regions.

2. Data management is now a strategic issue, not just a reporting task

One of the strongest themes from the roundtable was the growing challenge of managing sustainability data. Companies are navigating multiple compliance obligations, RoHS, REACH, TSCA, and others, often with fragmented systems and inconsistent data exchange across the supply chain.

Participants are looking for more efficient ways to share data upstream and downstream, not only to meet compliance requirements but also to inform smarter decisions about materials, product design, and manufacturing processes.

3. Industry wants more direct dialogue with policymakers

Attendees noted the value of having policymakers present at industry events or dedicated forums. The goal isn’t just compliance, it’s dialogue.

An open exchange of ideas between regulators and manufacturers could help ensure that requirements align with real-world manufacturing constraints while advancing shared sustainability goals.

4. Practical sustainability challenges still matter

While policy and data dominated much of the discussion, participants also raised very tangible, operational topics. One example was the management of reels and spools used to ship cable, and how to ensure these materials are handled responsibly at the end of use and integrated into more circular systems.

These kinds of issues underscore that sustainability is often won or lost in day-to-day operational decisions.

5. On the show floor, sustainability is “business as usual.”

Conversations with exhibitors in the exhibit hall revealed an important shift: sustainability is no longer a buzzword. It is simply part of how companies do business.

That said, challenges remain. Exhibitors pointed to differences between European and U.S. requirements, noting the need for improved communication between policymakers and industry. They also highlighted a common misconception: while customers often dictate product requirements, suppliers still have influence over material and chemical choices, and that influence isn’t always fully recognized or exercised.

6. Collaboration, materials, and workforce readiness are rising concerns

Exhibitors consistently emphasized the need for stronger collaboration across the supply chain. There is progress, but also clear room for improvement, especially as companies face growing pressure on critical minerals, such as silver, where costs and availability are increasingly uncertain.

Labor costs, workforce health and safety, and the complexity of serving customers across multiple countries with varying documentation and certification needs were also top of mind. While software tools are essential, they are only as effective as the people using them. Workforce training, particularly around understanding, managing, and communicating sustainability data, is becoming just as critical as the technology itself.

Moving forward

What stood out most from the Summit was the shared recognition that sustainability today is less about intention and more about execution. Companies are navigating a complex landscape of regulations, data demands, and operational realities, and they’re eager for clearer guidance, better tools, and stronger collaboration.

Events like WHMA’s Global Leadership Summit create space for exactly these conversations, reminding us that progress on sustainability compliance and reporting doesn’t happen in isolation, but it happens through dialogue, shared learning, and collective action across the industry.

Summary

• Actionable sustainability guidance for electronics manufacturers, addressing product carbon footprints, GHG reporting, Scope 3 emissions, and supply chain transparency
• Hands-on carbon accounting and standards-focused education at APEX EXPO 2026, including new industry guidance and a preview of IPC-1783-CO₂e
• Engineering-driven sustainability sessions and show-floor solutions, covering materials tradeoffs, manufacturing impacts, lifecycle tools, and ESG reporting technologies
• A practical forum to align on shared methods and prepare for evolving sustainability expectations across the electronics value chain

By Kelly Scanlon, Lead Sustainability Strategist, Global Electronics Association

Sustainability in electronics isn't theoretical anymore. Companies are being asked for product carbon footprints, greenhouse gas data, materials disclosures, and supply chain transparency often without clear guidance on how to deliver it.

That's why the sustainability programming at APEX EXPO 2026 is worth your attention and attendance, even if sustainability isn't in your job title.

Professional Development: Carbon Accounting Fundamentals

APEX EXPO offers hands-on courses on greenhouse gas accounting and calculations, including new industry guidance document and information about the forthcoming standard IPC-1783-CO₂e. These sessions are valuable for teams that need to explain how they calculate their numbers. 

If Scope 3 emissions feel unclear, these sessions can help.

Technical Sessions: Sustainability Meets Engineering Reality

Wednesday, March 28, includes four presentations focused on materials tradeoffs, manufacturing considerations, data credibility, and cross-functional alignment.

This is where you'll hear how others are navigating the same challenges you're facing.

On the Show Floor: Solutions in Action

Sustainability runs through the show floor, from additive and printed electronics to recycling, ESG reporting tools, and lifecycle software. The Learning Lounge and the Design Village and Technology Pavilion connect sustainability to design and manufacturing decisions, showing how early choices affect and improve carbon impact, compliance, and cost.

Why it Matters

Sustainability expectations are high for the electronics industry. APEX EXPO 2026 is where the industry works through shared methods, tools, and approaches. Being part of those conversations now means you're better positioned to respond as requirements evolve.

For registration options, visit 2026 Registration Options | APEX EXPO 2026.

See you in Anaheim!