From Prototype to Production: New Guideline Helps Industry Design, Integrate and Scale Reliable E-Textile Systems

Global Electronics Association announces new next-generation guideline: Fundamentals and Best Practices for E-Textile System Development

The Global Electronics Association announces Fundamentals and Best Practices for E-Textile System Development, a new next-generation guideline that provides a structured framework for the design, testing and deployment of e-textiles systems.

As e-textiles increasingly move from prototype to production, development teams face unique challenges, requiring coordination among disciplines that often use different design approaches, terminology, performance expectations and test methods. Developed by a global group of industry experts, this guideline establishes a common technical foundation for e-textiles; covering materials selection, integration methods, interconnection approaches, reliability, testing, cybersecurity, and sustainability.

Meeting the Demands of Real-World Performance

The rapid growth of wearables and e-textiles is raising the stakes for product developers, making reliability, durability and manufacturability more critical than ever. Unlike conventional electronics, e-textile systems must survive stretching, repeated laundering, and exposure to perspiration, all while delivering reliable performance in applications ranging from consumer wearables to healthcare and aerospace. 

Without a clear decision-making framework, development teams risk unpredictable reliability issues, costly rework and extended time-to-market. The guideline translates these considerations into clear, actionable guidance, spanning from materials to validation, supported by real-world product examples across its 63 pages.

“E-textiles can't be considered a niche thing anymore. They are entering real supply chains, real regulatory environments, people's lives. The industry needs to grow in the best sense. It needs to have shared standards, knowledge and accountability as well as the language helping companies see sustainability, the most urgent and unresolved challenge, not as a constraint but as a quality signal. This guideline addresses this through design considerations that run through the material choices, integration methods and product architecture that enable products that are durable, maintainable and eventually recyclable” said Paula Veske-Lepp, professor at TTK University of Applied Science and lead contributor to this guideline.

A Practical Framework and Educational Resource 

Whether your background is in textiles, electronics or design, this guideline provides a practical, cross-disciplinary framework that supports every stage of e-textiles product development and commercialization. It serves as an educational resource for organizations seeking to better understand e-textiles technologies, bridging knowledge gaps between textiles and electronics industries.

Additionally, the guideline complements the Association's growing portfolio of IPC e-textiles standards, which includes wearables quality and reliability (IPC-8981), conductive yarns (IPC-8911), woven and knitted e-textiles (IPC-8921), printed electronics applications (IPC-8952 and IPC-8971) and more than 20 IPC Test Methods specific to e-textiles applications.

Availability

Fundamentals and Best Practices for E-Textile System Development is available for purchase now. Visit electronics.org to learn more about the guideline, listen to perspectives on it from trusted industry voices and purchase it for your organization’s library.

Design Process Flow - A Desk Reference Guide

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This desktop reference guide describes how IPC’s printed board design standards integrate into a typical design workflow. It offers insights into common design practices and points out where to find detailed requirements and recommendations in the IPC standards library. While not exhaustive in technical depth, this document highlights key elements of the printed board design process and serves as a bridge between IPC standards and practical applications.

The printed board designer is responsible for understanding how to create designs in their ECAD environment and how those designs inform the subsequent processes in the electronics manufacturing pipeline. While this document presents these processes as discrete steps, the designer must remember that each phase is interdependent, as outputs from one stage feed into the next, requiring coordination between designers and various stakeholders such as fabrication, assembly, and testing teams. Integrating IPC standards at each stage of the design process can help ensure consistency, quality, and manufacturability while offering flexibility to accommodate various tools and platforms. By adhering to these standards, designers can achieve optimal performance while reducing manufacturing and product development risks.

Author(s)
Global Electronics Association
Resource Type
White Paper
Event
No Event

Global Electronics Association Releases IPC-1401B ESG Management System Standard

Update gives manufacturers a global standard to prove ESG performance to customers, investors and regulators

The Global Electronics Association has released IPC-1401B, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Management System Standard, an updated industry standard that gives manufacturers a practical, scalable framework to demonstrate ESG performance to customers, investors, and regulators.

ESG requirements are no longer voluntary. Customers are demanding supply chain transparency. Investors are tying capital allocation to measurable sustainability performance. Regulators across the world, such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), are raising the compliance bar. Manufacturers without a verified, structured ESG management system face growing commercial, financial, and regulatory exposure. IPC-1401B provides that system. 

“Manufacturers are under growing pressure to demonstrate credible, measurable ESG performance across their operations and supply chains,” said Peter Zhou, lead sustainability expert at the Global Electronics Association’s IPC China office. “IPC-1401B gives manufacturers a practical, scalable framework to integrate ESG into the way they do business every day, strengthening governance, managing risk, and meeting evolving market expectations that are reshaping procurement and investment decisions.”

Developed through more than a decade of global collaboration, IPC-1401B was shaped by more than 400 committee members representing over 300 companies and 20+ industry associations. Global industry leaders including Foxconn, Huawei, Fujifilm, and ZTE have adopted and deployed IPC-1401 within their operations and supply chains. 

IPC-1401 enables manufacturers to:

  • Embed ESG into every business function – from marketing and procurement to R&D, logistics, and after-sales services
  • Manage supply chain risk by integrating ESG guidance across the value chain 
  • Strengthen accountability by aligning compliance, governance, and investor-grade transparency
  • Meet customer and investor requirements with a framework built to their needs
  • Support responsible products, services, and business conduct

IPC-1401B is designed to work with existing management systems, not replace them. It is fully compatible with ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 37301, RBA, IFRS S1 and GRI, built on the ISO Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle and aligned with OECD due diligence guidelines. 

“As ESG requirements increasingly shape green products, green production, responsible procurement and sustainable investment, IPC-1401B offers manufacturers a timely tool to strengthen resilience, improve transparency, and support long-term competitiveness,” added Zhou.

To learn more or purchase IPC-1401B, visit the Global Electronics Association online store. 

My Top Three Reads | AI and the Invisible Brand Problem

Jun 18, 2026
| By Brian Knier
KEY SUMMARY:
  • AI is changing B2B buyer discovery, and the blog explores how tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are affecting whether suppliers are found, recommended, and accurately represented online.
  • Traditional brand credibility is no longer enough on its own; companies need strong visibility across third-party content, industry publications, expert voices, and fresh digital content that AI systems can recognize and surface.
  • Brian Knier’s three recommended reads offer practical guidance for electronics companies looking to improve AI search visibility, zero-click discoverability, and digital brand accuracy in an evolving B2B marketing landscape.

Brian Knier, CMO/VP Customer Experience, Global Electronics Association

I've been thinking a lot lately about visibility. Not brand awareness in the traditional sense, but something more specific: what happens when a buyer opens ChatGPT or Perplexity and asks it to recommend suppliers in your space. Does your company show up? And if it does, is what shows up actually accurate?

This isn't a hypothetical anymore. The buyer journey in B2B has shifted in ways most of us are still catching up to, and I'd include myself in that. The electronics industry in particular has long relied on relationships, reputation, and institutional credibility to drive business. Those things still matter. But credibility has to show up somewhere for an AI to find it.

These three reads get into the specifics of how buyer discovery is changing and what it takes to update your strategies to meet buyers where they are now.

Read #1 | "The Marketing Minute: AI Is Watching Your Marketing Habits"

Brittany Martin, I-Connect007

Even if marketing isn't your function, this one is worth five minutes. Brittany puts a useful frame around a shift the electronics industry is going to need to respond to: companies that built credibility through relationships and institutional knowledge may not show up the same way in an AI-driven search environment.

Read #2 | "How To Stand Out In A Zero-Click World"

Forrester Research, 2026

Forrester's research shows B2B buyers have adopted AI search at three times the rate of consumers, and nearly all of them are now using it across every stage of the buying process. What makes this guide worth the read is that it gets specific about what to do. The strategies that work in an AI-driven discovery environment are built on credibility that shows up offsite, in industry publications, expert voices, third-party content, and community participation. For electronics suppliers, that's not a new playbook. It's the one you're already running. The question is whether it's structured in a way that AI can actually find and use.

Read #3 | "Your Next Customer Will Find You Using AI. Now What?"

Bain & Company, April 2026

Bain gets specific about what to do. Three focus areas for brands making progress: category fame, accurate portrayal in third-party sources, and content freshness. For electronics suppliers, that's essentially a checklist for auditing your digital footprint right now.

The Numbers Don't Lie: Reading the Global EMS Data for 2025

Jun 15, 2026
Key Summary:
  • Global EMS growth remains strong, driven by AI demand, but Europe’s EMS market declined in 2025, creating a sharper gap between global momentum and regional weakness.
  • European EMS performance is uneven by region, with Germany, Austria, and France contracting, while the Baltics, Nordics, Balkans, and Poland posted growth.
  • EMS companies improved margins despite lower revenues, reflecting cost discipline and resilience, though layoffs and a cautious 2026 outlook show the market remains under pressure.

by Phil Stoten, Scoop Communications 

There is a particular kind of clarity that comes from sitting down with the person who compiled the data. Not the press release version, not the management summary, but the actual numbers: the ones that show which companies closed, which markets contracted hardest, and where, against the odds, something is quietly growing

I spoke recently with Christoph Solka, Director of Industry Intelligence at the Global Electronics Association, following the release of two significant datasets: the Annual Survey of the European EMS Industry 2026, covering 397 companies and representing nearly 31% of total European EMS production, and the Global EMS Industry Report 2025, produced via the Association's acquisition of the New Venture Research programme. Together they tell a story of an industry in transition, growing in some places, contracting sharply in others, and everywhere being reshaped by forces that go well beyond the normal business cycle. 

The global picture looks encouraging on the surface. The worldwide EMS market grew 3.2% in 2024, reaching approximately $658 billion, driven primarily by AI infrastructure demand. But Solka was quick to add context. "The 3.2% refers to 2024. In 2025, the global increase was even bigger. So the contrast between global and Europe is actually larger than it appears." 

Europe tells a harder story. Overall European EMS revenues fell 2.9% in 2025. Eleven French companies filed for insolvency. Job losses across the full industry potentially approached 11,000. The question of whether Europe is simply lagging a global recovery, or facing something more structural, is one the data raises without fully resolving. Solka's view: "There is a clear split in the market between AI-driven and non-AI, and you can see that split both globally and within Europe itself." 

Within Europe, the East-West divide is the defining story. Germany fell 7.0%, following a 9.7% decline the year before. Austria fell 15.2%. France recorded -13.5%. Against that, the Baltic States grew 12.0%, the Balkans 7.2%, the Nordics 9.1%, Poland 3.1%. As Solka put it: "It is not a homogeneous but a heterogeneous picture. The market was declining overall, but not everybody is the same. It depends where you are, which region, what is driving you." 

The defence sector is the clearest bright spot, particularly for Nordic companies that have spent years building capability and relationships in aerospace and defence. But the opportunity is concentrated. Not every company pivoting toward defence will find the business it is looking for. 

The finding that surprised me most, however, is the profitability data. Despite falling revenues across much of Europe, 42% of surveyed companies improved their pre-tax margins in 2025. Even among companies whose revenues declined, 43% improved margins. I asked Solka directly: resilience or painful cost cutting? 

"Genuine resilience and cost reductions do not have to be contradictions," he said. "Companies that have tight control over costs are resilient as a result." The workforce numbers tell the harder side of that story: 3,445 jobs eliminated, 94% in Western Europe. "Those are real people," Solka said quietly. "It's easy to discuss percentages. It's important to remember what they represent." 

The outlook for 2026 is cautious. Automotive remains a drag. Industrial shows tentative improvement. A broad-based Western European recovery is not yet in sight. But an industry that has absorbed this much pressure without breaking, that has protected margins and in many cases used the downturn to reposition, is one that is building the foundation for what comes next. 

The numbers don't lie. And right now, they are telling a story of an industry that is tougher, leaner, and more self-aware than it was when this downturn began. 

Philip Stoten is a journalist, speaker and host specialising in the global electronics manufacturing services industry. He hosts the EMS@C-Level, EMS & The Economist, and MADE IN EUROPE podcasts. 

PEDC 2025 Technical Conference Proceedings: The role of the digital twin concept in assessing and optimizing copper electroplating process performance

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PCB manufacturing involves transforming a design into a physical board while meeting specific requirements. Understanding these design specifications is crucial, as they directly impact the PCB's fabrication process, performance, and yield rate. One key design specification is copper thieving - the addition of “dummy” pads across the surface that are plated along with the features designed onto the outer layers. The purpose of the process is to provide a uniform distribution of copper across the outer layers to make plating current and plating in the holes more uniform. Copper electroplating is crucial in PCB manufacturing, primarily because it reduces ground line impedance and voltage drop. The performance of the electroplating process directly affects the quality of the copper layer and related mechanical properties. In acid copper plating, achieving proper thickness distribution and surface uniformity without compromising metallurgical properties like elongation and tensile strength is challenging. Lowering the current density can help equalize copper thickness but significantly increases plating time, adversely affecting PCB throughput. Therefore, controlling process performance and the quality of the electroplated copper layer are vital aspects of PCB plating, which remains challenging even for experienced PCB manufacturers. Recognizing plating process performance in terms of copper layer coverage and thickness upfront adds significant value to process design and control. This paper explores the concept of automated copper thieving and the digital twin of the copper plating process in PCB manufacturing. These modern CAE tools facilitate the rapid assessment and mitigation of copper under- and over-plated surface areas, aligning closely with the principles of smart manufacturing.

Author(s)
Aga Franczak, Robrecht Belis
Resource Type
Technical Paper
Event
PEDC 2025

PEDC 2025 Technical Conference Proceedings: Study on Resonance Mitigation in Metallic Shielding for Integrated Circuits

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Inherent cavity resonant modes often lead to significant degradation of shielding effectiveness, responsible for unwanted 8 electromagnetic coupling. Cavity resonant modes of the metal shielding enclosure can produce two adverse problems: the mutual coupling among different RF modules and shielding effectiveness reduction of the metal enclosure. The cabinets serve to shield certain components from electromagnetic interference (EMI), however these cavities present some resonance peaks at 5 GHz, making it impossible to use them at higher frequencies. By incorporating absorber sheets inside the lid of the cabinet these resonances are attenuated or even eliminated, allowing the use of the cabinets as a protective element in PCB at higher frequencies. In this study, it has been calculated theoretically, simulated using commercial EM field solver and tested in laboratory in different cabinets to find their resonance frequencies, as well as tested incorporating a ferromagnetic material inside them to see if this can help to attenuate the effect of resonances. In addition, thermal simulations and laboratory tests have been carried out to prove that this material can have a dual function as a resonance attenuator and as an element to direct the heat flow from inside the cabinet to the outside. The calculated, simulated and tested data in most cases differ between one to seven percent error and a significant reduction in resonances has been demonstrated. Extending the frequency range of these cavities will make a difference for IoT applications, 5 G and future functionalities that require the use of a higher frequency range.

Author(s)
Maria Cuesta Martin, Victor Martinez, Vidal Gonzalez Aguado
Resource Type
Technical Paper
Event
PEDC 2025

5 Questions With… Dr. Ranee Ramya

Jun 11, 2026

In the latest installment of Five Questions With…, Ranee Ramya, Ph.D., Country Manager - Malaysia, Singapore & Indonesia, discusses how AI, talent development, advanced packaging, and industry collaboration are shaping the future of electronics manufacturing in Malaysia.

Key Summary 

  • AI-driven demand, advanced electronic packaging, and supply chain diversification are creating significant growth opportunities for Malaysia's electronics industry. 
  • Talent development remains the industry's most pressing challenge, with success dependent on collaboration among industry, academia, and government to build a skilled workforce. 
  • Malaysia's greatest opportunity lies in moving up the value chain through advanced electronic packaging, automation, AI-enabled manufacturing, sustainability, and stronger ecosystem-wide collaboration.

1) What is the most important shift happening in the electronics industry right now, and why does it matter?

AI-driven demand and supply chain diversification are reshaping the electronics industry and creating a real opportunity for Malaysia.

AI infrastructure is driving strong semiconductor demand, especially in power management, analog, and advanced electronic packaging. As data centers become more power-intensive, efficient chips are becoming essential, not optional.

At the same time, global manufacturers are diversifying beyond single-country supply chains. Malaysia is well-positioned to benefit, thanks to its strong manufacturing base, a mature ecosystem, and its strategic location in Southeast Asia.

Malaysia is no longer just an assembly-and-test player. It is moving into higher-value areas such as IC design, advanced packaging, and smart manufacturing, with policy support helping accelerate that transition.

Demand is rising, supply chains are shifting, and Malaysia has a credible opportunity to expand its role in the global semiconductor value chain.

2) What is one challenge the industry must solve in the next 3–5 years, and what will it take to get there?

The industry's biggest challenge is talent.

The electronics industry’s growth in semiconductors, advanced electronic packaging, AI hardware, and next-generation manufacturing will depend on its ability to build enough skilled, industry-ready workers.

Companies are investing heavily in new capacity and technology. But those investments only pay off if the workforce is there to support them. In Malaysia alone, the industry is expected to need about 60,000 additional skilled engineers by 2030.

The industry needs people with practical skills, globally recognized competencies, and a solid understanding of manufacturing standards and best practices.

Malaysia has already made an important start through its National Semiconductor Strategy, which emphasizes talent, IC design, advanced electronic packaging, R&D, and infrastructure.

At the Global Electronics Association, our new Malaysia office in Penang is focused on helping close that gap by supporting workforce development, standards adoption, certification, advanced electronic packaging, and broader industry collaboration.

Solving the talent challenge will require sustained collaboration among industry, academia, and government. The countries that build skilled, adaptable talent fastest will lead the next era of electronics growth.

3) What differentiates companies that are thriving right now from those that are struggling?

Successful companies are investing in capability, technology, and long-term value creation. In Malaysia, that means building strength in advanced electronic packaging, automation, smart manufacturing, and engineering to meet demand driven by AI, high-performance computing, and next-generation electronics.

They are positioning themselves not just as manufacturers, but as strategic technology and supply-chain partners.

Leading companies are using AI, Industry 4.0, and digital manufacturing to improve efficiency, move faster, and build resilience. They are also investing continuously in talent and technical depth.

Companies that adapt quickly, in technology, workforce capability, and operational flexibility, are pulling ahead. Those who do not are falling behind.

4) Where do you see the greatest need for industry alignment or collaboration?

Stronger ecosystem-wide coordination.

As Malaysia moves up the value chain, closer alignment is needed across manufacturers, suppliers, technology providers, academia, and government. Without that, capability-building and technology adoption will remain uneven.

Where alignment matters most:

  • Global standards and quality systems
  • Digital manufacturing practices
  • Sustainability
  • Automation and AI-enabled manufacturing
  • Advanced electronic packaging

These areas are evolving fast and need a more structured, ecosystem-level approach.

At the Global Electronics Association, our Penang office is working to strengthen that coordination through:

  • standards initiatives
  • technical sessions and industry forums
  • collaboration across the electronics value chain
  • engagement with government and industry partners

We also recently signed an MoU with MIMOS to help create standardized guardrails and validate advanced technologies.

The next stage of growth will depend on how well the ecosystem works together — not just how well individual companies perform.

5) Malaysia is becoming a more important hub in the global electronics supply chain. What role can it play in the next phase of growth, and where is its biggest opportunity to lead?

Malaysia’s next role is as a trusted hub for high-value electronics manufacturing and technology development.

Malaysia already stands out for its semiconductor, EMS, and industrial electronics base. What gives it added strength is the maturity of its ecosystem, engineering depth, and ability to support complex global supply chains reliably.

As companies build more resilient and diversified networks, Malaysia is increasingly seen as a long-term strategic partner.

Where the biggest opportunity lies:
The biggest opportunity for Malaysia is in moving up the value chain, especially in advanced electronic packaging, AI-enabled manufacturing, automation, sustainability, and workforce development.

The next phase of growth will not be defined solely by capacity. It will be defined by how quickly the ecosystem can collaborate, adapt, and build new capabilities.

At the Global Electronics Association, we are supporting that effort in Malaysia through standards adoption, workforce development, certifications, technical training, and industry collaboration.

Malaysia’s biggest opportunity is to lead not just as a manufacturing base, but as a higher-value, innovation-driven electronics hub.

 

One Platform, One Picture: How the Global Electronics Association is Changing the Intelligence Game

Jun 11, 2026
KEY SUMMARY:
  • The Global Electronics Association is building a more unified view of the electronics market by bringing leading European and global EMS, PCB, and editorial intelligence programs under one platform.
  • The effort preserves decades of trusted industry data and relationships while giving these intelligence programs a stronger long-term home.
  • The goal is clearer, more connected market insight—helping the industry move from fragmented data to a more complete picture.

by Philip Stoten, Scoop Communications

The electronics manufacturing industry has never been short of data. What it has been short of is coherence. For most of its history, market intelligence has lived in fragments, produced by different organisations, on different timelines, with no common thread connecting the European picture to the global one. 

That is beginning to change, and it is changing fast. 

In the space of a few weeks in early 2026, the Global Electronics Association brought two landmark data programmes into its portfolio: the in4ma European EMS and PCB statistical programmes, built over decades by Dieter G. Weiss, and the New Venture Research global EMS intelligence programme, developed over more than thirty years by Randall Sherman. Add the long-running Manufacturing Market Insider newsletter, and you have something the industry has never quite had before: a single, institutionally backed platform spanning European and global EMS data, PCB market statistics, company rankings, and editorial intelligence. 

I sat down with Christoph Solka, the Association's Director of Industry Intelligence, to understand what is being built here and why it matters. 

The conversation started with the obvious question: planned strategy or happy opportunism? 

"I wouldn't frame it as one or the other," Solka told me. "There was certainly a vision, but strategy alone is useless if there is no opportunity. It also helped that there was a clear desire to secure the long-term future of those programmes. You could build something on a greenfield basis, but it is more advantageous to build on something already well established in the market." 

What the Association has assembled is not just data. It is history, trust, and decades of accumulated industry relationships. The in4ma European EMS survey is now in its eighteenth year. The NVR programme has been the global reference point for EMS market intelligence for over three decades. Each was built on a foundation of personal trust between its founder and the hundreds of companies that shared sensitive information year after year. 

Carrying that forward is a responsibility Solka takes seriously. "We will continue in the spirit of Randall Sherman and Dieter Weiss. We want to preserve that trust first and foremost." Weiss continues as an active advisor. Sherman's long-standing team members are continuing the NVR work. The continuity is real, not just stated. 

But continuity is only half the ambition. The other half is integration. The vision is a platform where European and global data talk to each other coherently, where a company appearing in both the European rankings and the global rankings is represented identically, where a trend in European automotive segment data is connectable to global end-market signals, and where the industry can finally see itself whole rather than in pieces. 

Solka is careful about timelines. "It is still too early to say what it will look like in concrete terms. There is no fixed timeline. We will work continuously in that direction and steadily expand the scope." On methodology, the approach is deliberately measured: significant investment in the IT infrastructure running in the background, where users will notice little change, and a very slow, careful evolution on content methodology, with harmonisation between programmes approached with caution. 

The word Solka and I kept returning to was harmonised. Not homogenised, not standardised, but harmonised. The goal is data that is synchronised across programmes while preserving the methodological rigour that made each one trusted in the first place. 

The Global Electronics Association brings one further advantage that neither Weiss nor Sherman had independently: a global membership of more than 3,000 companies across the entire electronics value chain. That membership is both a distribution network and a feedback mechanism, ensuring the intelligence produced remains connected to what the industry actually needs. 

The electronics manufacturing industry has always been data-rich and insight-poor. The Association is making a serious bet that it can change that. The moves of 2026 are the opening play.

Philip Stoten is a journalist, speaker and host specialising in the global electronics manufacturing services industry. He hosts the EMS@C-Level, EMS & The Economist, and MADE IN EUROPE podcasts. 

First in the Nation: E-Tron Takes Top Honors in U.S. Wire Harness Competition

Jun 09, 2026

Key Summary

E-Tron Systems, a Virginia-based wire and cable harness manufacturer, made history when employee Elcira DeLeon won the first-ever wire harness assembly competition held in the United States at the Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo (EWPTE). Nominated by company Director George Jacob, Elcira completed the timed assembly challenge and delivered a winning performance on competition day, supported by colleague Mayra Ocon. 

When George Jacob, Director of E-Tron Systems, a wire and cable harness manufacturer based in Virginia, heard the announcement that the first-ever wire harness assembly competition was being held in the United States at EWPTE, he was immediately interested.

"I was so happy," said George. "Because whoever won would go down in history as the first person to win this competition in America."

That person turned out to be his own employee, Elcira DeLeon.

Raising the Bar

George's initial goal was modest. "Originally, my bar was very low, to participate for the sake of participation," he admitted. But the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to compete to win. He nominated Elcira, a three-year E-Tron veteran with a decade of electronics experience and a reputation for precision and attention to detail, to compete for E-Tron.

The team studied the competition drawings carefully and familiarized itself with the metric system applied, including the usage of a decimal comma in lieu of a decimal point.  The biggest challenge, though, wasn't technical skill. It was the clock. Competitors had exactly one hour to complete the assembly. Only finished harnesses would be judged. Elcira trained well and built the harness within the stipulated 60 minutes. In fact, she got it under 50 minutes during her trials at E-Tron. 

Nervous, But Ready

"It was my first time, but I prepared myself," said Elcira. "There were people coming to look at me, and I had a lot of nerves." Cheering her on from the sidelines and literally sitting on the floor was Mayra Ocon, an operations and customer service colleague who has worked closely with Elcira for three years. "I just sat there and said, 'Hey, you've got this,'" Mayra recalled with a smile.

A Company with Heart

E-Tron is no ordinary wire harness shop. Founded in 1986 in partnership with Fairfax County Community Services Board, the company was built around providing meaningful employment for individuals with intellectual disabilities, including autism. This July, E-Tron celebrates its 40th anniversary.

"At the end of the day, I go home gratified that in a small way, we have touched the lives of people," said George, who is a 20-year veteran of the company. "This company is a microcosm of the United States; every person brings something different, and we all work together to make some of the best quality products America can build."

Next Stop: Munich

Elcira's first-place finish earns her a spot at electronica in Munich in November, the first U.S. competitor ever to advance from this competition. All three E-Tron staffers, George, Elcira, and Mayra, will make the trip together. 

The Global Electronics Association booth at electronica will be #A1-463.

 

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