By Kunil Shah, Ph.D., chief scientist, LiloTree
The advent and ongoing evolution of internet-enabled mobile devices has continued to drive innovation in the manufacturing and design of technology capable of high-frequency/high-density electronic signal transfer.
I am proud to share that IPC’s Apprenticeship Program is growing! We have just added our third occupation to our National Standards of Apprenticeship – Printed Circuit Board Design Engineer.
Today, March 27, is the first anniversary of U.S. President Joe Biden’s “presidential determination” (PD) on printed circuit boards (PCBs), advanced packaging, and IC substrates – a milestone action by the U.S. government that has paved the way to U.S. government investments in these technologies under Title III of the Defense Production Act (DPA).
The Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems (ICAMS) at Auburn University is again conducting a study on behalf of the Department of Defense to understand the issues and hurdles manufacturers face when adopting smart manufacturing technologies. That information then helps inform development of solutions to overcome those challenges and help manufacturers become more successful. You can read last year’s results here: Smart-Manufacturing-Study.pdf (auburn.edu).
Today, IPC delivered a letter to Congress signed by 49 industry executives urging them to sustain current investments in the electronics industrial base or risk putting the United States even further behind the global competition.
Ensuring Excellence: IPC-A-610 Process Optimization and Ensuring Excellence: IPC-J-STD-001 Process Optimization are designed to provide electronics professionals with the knowledge and skills to set up reliable, high-quality assembly processes that meet IPC standards. They offer practical insights into various aspects of electronics assembly.
As the U.S. Congress was making progress this week on a budget framework and annual defense authorization and spending bills for the coming year, more than a dozen senior executives from electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies joined IPC in the nation’s capital for the EMS Leadership Public Policy Roundtable. This two-day event featured expert-led discussions, networking and socializing, and meetings with lawmakers in their offices on Capitol Hill.
The funding landscape for workforce development is evolving. While federal grant freezes and shifting policies have introduced some uncertainty, there are still viable opportunities available for companies in the Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) industry.
As revealed this week by an annual survey conducted by in4ma and sponsored by IPC, the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry in Europe experienced negative 14 percent growth in printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) production in 2024.
On May 16, 2025, IPC hosted a high-level Industry Leaders Luncheon in Taipei, bringing together nearly 60 prominent representatives from government agencies, industry associations, and leading enterprises to explore trends and strategic opportunities shaping the future of electronics manufacturing.