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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
April 30, 2021 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
This week’s biggest news came in the form of industry briefings—there were a lot of them and the news was universally positive. The news you need to read for this week includes three reports from IPC detailing: the strength and risks in the global economic recovery; a strong EMS book-to-bill ratio; and strong North American PCB sales. Zeroing in on a single company, Apple reported a significant jump in revenue. On the governmental issues front, SEMI offered its support to the introduction of the Endless Frontier Act, intending to improve U.S.-based semiconductor development. We round off the list with Pete Starkey’s report on the EIPC Technical Snapshot session, this time analyzing material pricing pressures and supply chain issues.
Count carefully, and you’ll find that the Top 5 actually contains six news items this week. That’s by intent. To our thinking, the EMS and PCB reports from IPC represented one story told in two parts.
Enjoy!
IPC: Global Economic Recovery is Picking Up Speed, but Risks Remain
Published April 28
The United States should see first quarter growth eclipse 6% (seasonally adjusted annual rate), led by additional fiscal stimulus and the broad lifting of COVID-related restrictions. Monetary policy remains accommodative, which should help to further growth. Finally, consumer and business confidence is roaring back as vaccination rates increase and consumers appear anxious to spend. The United States is set to grow 6.3% during the year.
SEMI Lauds Introduction of Endless Frontier Act to Boost U.S. Technology Innovation
Published April 23
SEMI, the industry association serving the global electronics design and manufacturing supply chain, applauded the introduction of the Endless Frontier Act (S. 1260) to bolster U.S. semiconductor innovation. This bipartisan legislation calls for the investment of more than $100 billion in science and technology initiatives to strengthen U.S. capabilities to develop critical technologies, expand the U.S. workforce, and foster federally funded research. The legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) and a bipartisan group of cosponsors.
Apple Reports Revenue Up 54% to New March Quarter Record
Published April 29
Tim Cook’s quote captures it well: “This quarter reflects both the enduring ways our products have helped our users meet this moment in their own lives, as well as the optimism consumers seem to feel about better days ahead for all of us.”
North American EMS Industry Down 3.6% in March
Published April 23
“EMS shipments bounced back sharply in March, following a February marked by severe weather that hindered production,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist. “Order flow slowed during the month but remains near historical levels. In fact, the three-month EMS book-to-bill has never been higher. With book-to-bill at 1.43, the EMS industry hit a second record in as many months.”
EIPC Technical Snapshot: Supply Chain and Material Price Pressures
Published April 26
EIPC’s seventh Technical Snapshot webinar on April 14 was timely and appropriate. In the context of current supply chain issues and material price pressures facing the PCB industry, particularly in Europe, the EIPC team brought together an outstanding group of experts—each a leading authority in his field—to analyse and comment upon the areas of concern and to respond to questions raised by a capacity audience.
North American PCB Industry Sales Up 4.7% in March
Published April 26
“March was a strong month for the PCB industry. Record shipments and strong bookings pushed the book-to-bill to near all-time highs,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC’s chief economist. “Only May 2000, with a book-to-bill of 1.23, was higher.”
Suggested Items
Big Win for Defense Production Act Budget Allocation in FY24 Budget
04/23/2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamOne year ago, President Biden issued a determination that chips and packaging are critical for national security. Since that time, much work has been done to continue the conversation in Washington, elevating the importance of the entire chips value chain, and including printed circuit boards and substrates, without which chips cannot operate.
Zentech’s Board of Directors Announces the Return of Matt Turpin as President and CEO
04/22/2024 | Zentech ManufacturingTurpin draws upon over 35 years of experience in the electronics industry and has an 18-year history with Zentech. He previously served as President and CEO from 2006 to 2019 after which time he has remained active in the EMS industry as an advisor to Zentech and other industry organizations.
Aaron Woolf, Dylan Peterson Join SIA Team
04/22/2024 | SIAThe Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) announced Aaron Woolf and Dylan Peterson have joined the SIA team. Woolf will serve as director of global policy for economic security and Peterson will be a communications associate. SIA represents 99% of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms.
It’s Only Common Sense: OCCAM—the Time Is Now
04/22/2024 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: It's Only Common SenseOne of my favorite books is a little tome called Who Moved My Cheese? Even those of you who don’t spend a lot of time reading books have at least heard of it and know that it refers to people, especially in business, who are so stuck in their ways that they get upset when something changes. In our business, we know this kind of thinking is especially true. In fact, it always makes me laugh when one of my innovative friends finds a new way to do something and is afraid that someone will steal his idea. I always tell him that no one in our business, especially a PCB engineer, has ever thought about someone else’s innovative idea enough to steal it.
Digitalisation and ESG
04/19/2024 | Marina Hornasek-Metzl, AT&SDigitalisation and ESG are prominent and high-priority topics in the global business community. The first focuses on applying technology throughout the value chain to produce faster, smarter, and more desirable business outcomes. The latter emphasises the broader value a business is expected to create for its stakeholders from an environmental, social, and governance perspective.