China is formalizing AI as a national growth engine through a five-year plan, while the US sees rising import dependence to sustain its own AI expansion.

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering CEO Dr. Tien Wu will give the keynote speech for the 76th annual IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC) in Orlando, FL. Wu’s speech is titled “Advanced Packaging & the Future of System Optimization.”

Unused electronics are emerging as a $67B opportunity for US critical minerals supply, but collection and processing gaps persist.

Datest has launched its 2026 technical webinar series. The first webinar, “Improving AXI Accuracy: Reducing False Calls Through Better Programming & Image Analysis,” will be held April 14.

CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY announced the winners of the 2026 New Product Introduction (NPI) Awards, recognizing leading electronics assembly equipment, materials and software introduced over the past year.

Early bird registration for the PCB East 2026 technical conference ends March 27, ahead of the April 28–May 1 event in Worcester, MA.

Mike Buetow discusses Cadence’s acquisition of EMA Design Automation and what the deal could mean for the companies and the PCB design software market on the PCB Chat podcast.

Francisco Aguilar, CEO of Bounce Imaging, will keynote PCB East 2026, sharing how a prototype 360-degree tactical camera evolved into a mission-critical tool through iterative design and EMS collaboration.

PCB Detroit will return to Wayne State University June 15-16 with technical sessions covering ESD, EMI, RF design, thin copper impacts, thermal management, signal integrity and AI-driven PCB workflows, alongside a tabletop exhibition and networking events.

PCEA will debut the PCB Management Forum at PCB East on April 28, focusing on AI adoption, material shortages and workforce challenges.

CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY has opened registration for the 2026 Service Excellence Awards, inviting EMS providers and industry suppliers to benchmark customer service performance through direct customer feedback ahead of the April 31 deadline.

Registration is now open for PCB East 2026, the electronics industry’s East Coast conference and exhibition.

PCB East 2026’s exhibition hall is more than 95 percent sold out, reflecting strong exhibitor demand ahead of the April event in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Looking for networking opportunities? Join the PCEA Discord server, bringing together engineers and designers from around the world on a private channel for discussing technical questions and career opportunities.

The US Commerce Department has withdrawn a draft rule that would have replaced the Biden-era regulation governing global access to advanced AI chips.

Zhen Ding Technology said AI-related products are expected to account for nearly 70 percent of its revenue, as the PCB manufacturer plans $3.1B in expenditures over the next two years to expand capacity for AI servers.

Escalating Middle East tensions are increasing costs across the PCB supply chain, as disrupted shipping routes and higher energy prices drive up expenses for raw materials, manufacturing and logistics.

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are tightening cost controls as rising raw material and semiconductor prices increase manufacturing expenses, with Samsung’s procurement costs climbing 8.8 percent.

MicroCare appointed Dr. Uwe Wanner director of research and development.

Consider Manufacturing Complexity When PCB Designs Have Tight Hole-to-Trace Spacing
PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY

The 2025 AI Index: Documenting Sociotechnical Features of Deployed Agentic AI Systems
MIT

Flexible Electronics in Robotics Systems: From Devices to Applications
SmartBot

EVENTS

PCB Update is a digital newsletter for PCB design, fabrication and assembly professionals, brought to you by Printed Circuit Engineering Association™. E-mail industry press releases or links to the editors of CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY or PCD&F: pr@pcea.net.