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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
March 4, 2022 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
In the news this week we found a synchrony of topics. Much of the world is aware of the speaking points from U.S. President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address this past Tuesday. In that speech, President Biden talked prominently about U.S. legislation in process to bring more technology manufacturing back to the states. In fact, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger was not only an invited guest, but was referred to directly in the speech as a positive example. I can only assume that President Biden meant that moment to be a motivator for other CEOs in the industry.
But President Biden’s speech only went so far in his mentions. We in the printed circuit manufacturing industry know that semiconductors aren’t useful until you can connect them to the entire system. Funding chips alone will not be enough. Organizations such as IPC and PCBAA are working to help legislators in the U.S. (and globally, in IPC’s case) understand that critical attention and development thought needs to be focused on the printed circuit portion of the supply chain if they want the semiconductor investment to be successful.
The March issue of SMT007 Magazine was released this week. This month, we looked at the strategic investment environment in the U.S. and internationally. It is our intention to help move this conversation forward—not for political reasons, but for the good and resilience of our industry worldwide. Please give it a read.
My other favorite picks this week include:
IPC Applauds Biden’s Focus on Semiconductors, Urges Passage of Competitiveness Legislation
Published March 2
Released to the press on the day of President Biden’s State of the Union address, IPC highlighted the anticipated sections that would address our industry. IPC pledged to “continue to work with the Biden’s Administration to strengthen America’s semiconductor supply chain and urges the swift passage of competitiveness legislation to help expand the domestic semiconductor and electronics manufacturing industries.” I don’t have to say much more about why this is so important.
Northrop Grumman Develops Prototype Constellation Supporting Joint All-Domain Command
Published March 1
From the press release, “Northrop Grumman leveraged its commercial marketplace partnerships to deliver a rapid, affordable, highly-effective solution for SDA. “We’ve fully embraced SDA’s rapid, go-to-market spirit. It’s this vision for speed that allows us to field an innovative system quickly,” said Blake Bullock, vice president, communication systems, Northrop Grumman.” The U.S. Department of Defense has been working diligently on its communications systems between military units, and this is a welcome solution.
SEMI Survey Highlights U.S. Chip Industry Competitiveness, Government Investment
Published February 28
SEMI highlights three primary takeaways from the survey, intended to identify the challenges facing the semiconductor industry:
- Invest in the Entire Semiconductor Ecosystem
- Public and Private Funding is Key
- Invest in Multi-Generational Workforce Initiatives
Not unsurprisingly, these are the same takeaways as we find in the PCB manufacturing ecosystem as well. Read the article for more details.
North American EMS Industry Down 6% in January
Published February 28
Don’t panic too quickly. Though total North American EMS shipments in January 2022 were down 6% compared to the same month last year, the book-to-bill ratio stands, however, at 1.58. Click through to read all the details on IPC’s EMS Shipments report.
IPC: North American PCB Industry Sales Up 7.7% in January
Published February 25
Shawn DuBravac, IPC chief economist, says “We believe supply chain constraints will continue to slowly ease through the remainder of the year which should help companies improve shipment schedules.” We’re not out of the woods yet, but there are positive signs of recovery.
David Pogue Keynote Opens IPC APEX EXPO 2022
Published February 28
Pete Starkey’s inimitable reporting style brings Pogue’s keynote to life. It’s as simple as that. Readers flocked to this particular news item as well. In fact, reads were high enough to make this one article, the keynote report from our special Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO Show & Tell Magazine a statistical outlier. I just had to include it. I’m going to be talking about this issue a lot, because there’s much to be gained from our coverage of the show. If you were there, you’ll see what I mean. If you weren’t, you won’t feel like you missed a beat.
Suggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/10/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineSpring is a renewal each year as dormant flora bloom, and baby ducklings and geese are ever present in local bodies of water. Even though it is beginning to get hot, I love this time of year in Arizona, with the sun waking me around 5 a.m. It fills me with an energy that I often lose in the dark winter months. Wherever you find yourself in the world, I hope you are enjoying Spring and that you are filled with energy and enthusiasm for all the great work part of our daily lives in this industry.
ViTrox Presents Next-Gen Intelligent Manufacturing Solutions at SEMICON Southeast Asia 2024
05/10/2024 | ViTroxViTrox, which aims to be the world’s most trusted technology company, is pleased to announce its participation as an exhibitor and Platinum sponsor at SEMICON Southeast Asia 2024! Join us from May 28-30 at Booth #1504 in Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), KL, to experience our advancement in technology and manufacturing.
Podcast Review: On the Line with… Designing for Reality
05/09/2024 | Duane Benson, Positive Edge LLCAs a technologist, if I were forced to come up with just one recurring theme that I might call a professional “nemesis,” it would be the difference between theory and reality. A lot of technology we have at our disposal works well in theory but falls short when reality hits. That’s not the only reason I chose to listen to and review On the Line with… Designing for Reality, featuring a series of conversations with ASC Sunstone’s Matt Stevenson, but it certainly helped that the title caught my eye.
NEOTech Positions Itself as Microelectronics Industry Leader with High-Technology Investments
05/09/2024 | NEOTechNEOTech, a leading provider of electronic manufacturing services (EMS), design engineering, and supply chain solutions in the high-tech industrial, medical device, and aerospace/defense markets, announces a significant investment in acquiring new Palomar 8100 wire bonder machines, enhancing the company’s positioning as a leader of cutting-edge microelectronics assemblies for mission-critical applications.
MKS’ Atotech, ESI to Participate in CPCA Show
05/09/2024 | MKS’ AtotechMKS’ Atotech, and ESI will participate in the CPCA Show 2024. The show will be held from May 13 to 15, 2024, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) and will bring together domestic and international manufacturers in the electronic circuit industry.