Chris Mitchell
Vice President, Global Government Relations

The Headlines at a Glance: 

TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK 

• Electronics Industry Seeks Clarity from U.S. Commerce Secretary Raimondo on PCB Sector Funding

QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

• IPC President and CEO John W. Mitchell on bolstering domestic fabrication of advanced PCBs

EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE

• New Book on Workforce Development Benefits IPC Education Foundation

ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH

• IPC Featured in New Podcast on Sustainability
• IPC Urgently Seeking Member Input on PFAS Chemicals
• IPC Publishes Sustainability Resource Paper for Members
• Stakeholder Group Finalizes List of Priority Chemicals for Phaseouts

TRADE AND SUPPLY CHAIN

• U.S. Defense and Commerce Depts Pledge Collaboration on Chips
• IPC Releases European Silicon-to-Systems Report
• IPC Issues Report on Global Sentiment of the Electronics Supply Chain

UPCOMING EVENTS

• IPC IEMI Event, August 1 and 3
• IPC Day Romania, September 27-28
• IPC High Reliability Forum, October 17-19

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TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK

Electronics Industry Seeks Clarity from U.S. Commerce Secretary Raimondo on PCB Sector Funding: In a letter sent to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, IPC President and CEO John W. Mitchell and PCBAA Chairman Travis Kelly applauded the “positive signals” that have been sent by the Biden administration regarding greater support for PCBs. In March, President Joe Biden issued a “Presidential Determination” under the Defense Production Act (DPA) that prioritizes the domestic manufacture of PCBs as a matter of national security. In launching the first round of funding under the CHIPS for America program, Raimondo announced the U.S. will become a global leader in related chip packaging technologies. IPC is also calling on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittees in the House and Senate to allocate $100 million in Fiscal 2024 to implement President Biden’s presidential determination on PCBs. IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Advancing U.S. national security is a top priority. Our departments must work together and align on where and how we are making investments to strengthen the U.S. industrial base. Chips, in fact, have no functionality until they are packaged and placed on PCBs by electronics manufacturers who assemble systems. Yet, the United States is more dependent on overseas suppliers for PCBs and packaging than they are for semiconductor chips.” – IPC President and CEO John W. Mitchell, in a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo regarding greater support for PCBs.

EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE

New Book on Workforce Development Benefits IPC Education Foundation: Last month marked the publication of “Fire Your Hiring Habits: Building an Environment that Attracts Top Talent in Today’s Workforce,” written by IPC President and CEO John W. Mitchell. In the book John addresses one of the most difficult challenges in the electronics manufacturing industry, recruiting and retaining high-skilled workers. Learn how to shake up the hiring status quo, attract and retain top talent, and create a more inclusive work environment. Proceeds from the book will go to IPC Education Foundation to support careers in the electronics manufacturing industry. Click here to learn more.

ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH

IPC Featured in New Podcast on Sustainability: In a new edition of the Altium OnTrack podcast, IPC Lead Sustainability Strategist Kelly Scanlon talks about IPC’s plans to provide standards, education, and advocacy to help the electronics manufacturing industry navigate the environmental, social, and corporate governance aspects of sustainability in electronics. Scanlon provides insight into the work of the new IPC Sustainability Leadership Council, as well as the critical role that PCB designers will play as the industry faces sustainability challenges. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

IPC Urgently Seeking Member Input on PFAS Uses in Electronics: IPC still seeks PFAS data and information from industry in anticipation of a proposed universal ban on PFAS in the EU. A lack of industry data could result in limited or no advocacy by IPC, which in turn could result in few or no exemptions to the PFAS restriction. Without exemptions, the industry could be forced to decide between withdrawing from the EU market or adopting PFAS alternatives in their products and processes. Please ask someone in your company to fill out this survey ASAP to help us develop our advocacy strategy. The survey includes a list of helpful resources and serves as a “Step 1” to consider where PFAS may be used in the electronics manufacturing supply chain. IPC Contact: Suhani Chitalia.

IPC Publishes Sustainability Resource Paper for Members: In light of the growing need to understand and address environmental sustainability challenges in the electronics manufacturing industry, IPC recently published a white paper that provides an overview of eight sustainability topics that affect the electronics industry. The report also covers several changes needed to help industry move in a more sustainable direction; barriers and pitfalls on the road to sustainability; recommendations for company actions; and more than 30 useful online resources. To learn more, download the paper and explore the links it contains; and visit IPC Sustainability for Electronics and the IPC Chief Technologist Council. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

Stakeholder Group Finalizes List of Priority Chemicals for Phaseouts: The Clean Electronics Production Network, a multi-stakeholder group including companies, NGOs, academia, and government, in June added 16 chemicals to their initial list of 9 process chemicals to be prioritized for elimination or substitution. The chemicals were identified using CEPN member companies’ Manufacturing Restricted Substance List (MRSL); other publicly available MRSLs; CEPN’s Process Chemical Data Collection (PCDC) Tool; and stakeholder nominations. They were then screened against High Hazard Criteria, industry solvents, and the availability of safer alternatives. Worker health and safety as well as product life cycle concerns are both priority sustainability topic areas for the electronics manufacturing industry, and CEPN’s work helps to tackle both. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

TRADE AND SUPPLY CHAIN

Defense and Commerce Depts Pledge Collaboration on Chips: The U.S. Departments of Commerce and Defense this week signed a Memorandum of Agreement to strengthen their collaboration on the semiconductor defense industrial base. “By aligning priorities and decision-making, the MOA will enable a more synchronized approach to promoting a robust and resilient semiconductor supply chain,” the government says. The MOA is aimed at helping ensure DoC and DoD are making complementary decisions that maximize federal investments under the CHIPS Incentive Program and DoD Defense Production Act and Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment funds. IPC is continuing to advocate for a “silicon-to-systems” approach to the CHIPS program, recognizing that chips have no functionality until they are packaged and placed on PCBs by manufacturers who assemble systems, and that the United States is more dependent on overseas suppliers for PCBs and packaging than they are for semiconductor chips. IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.

IPC Releases European Silicon-to-Systems Report: A new report from IPC says the recently enacted European Chips Act is a welcomed step, but “the near singular focus” on the semiconductor industry “has obscured critically important segments of the electronics ecosystem,” specifically printed circuit boards (PCB) and electronics assembly (EMS). Over the last 20 years, the European PCB sector experienced a steep decline, the report says. The EMS sector has experienced “solid” growth, but total demand is met mostly by imports. The report comes as part of IPC’s ongoing dialogue with the European Commission about a “silicon-to-systems" approach. In the context of this on-going dialogue IPC is currently hard at work curating a European industry report with policy recommendations to bolster Europe’s PCB and EMS sectors. IPC Contact: Alison James.

IPC Issues Report on Global Sentiment of the Electronics Supply Chain: Over the next six months, electronics manufacturers expect to see continued increases in both labor and material costs, although to somewhat of a lesser extent with respect to materials, per IPC’s June 2023 Global Sentiment of the Electronics Supply Chain Report. Additional survey results indicate employee retention this year is comparable to 2022. To attract new employees, two-thirds (66 percent) of electronics manufacturers have raised salaries/rates beyond what was anticipated, with more than half (54 percent) looking for potential employees in non-traditional places.  IPC Contact: Shawn DuBravac.

UPCOMING EVENTS

IPC to Host Annual IEMI Event in India: Chennai, Aug. 1, and Pune, Aug. 3. IPC is hosting Integrated Electronics Manufacturing & Interconnections (IEMI) events in Chennai and Pune, bringing together designers, manufacturers, traders, suppliers, service providers, and technical experts to explore new business partnerships, gain technical knowledge, and source products and services. The IEMI events follow last year’s successful inaugural gatherings in New Delhi and Bangalore. For more information, visit the event page or contact IPC’s Gaurab Majumdar.

IPC Day: Build Electronics Better with Standards and Solutions, Conference Powered by Flex: Timisoara, Romania, Sept. 27-28. The conference will provide a unique opportunity to learn about the latest advancements in electronics manufacturing, participate in industry discussions, and network with a community of professionals dedicated to building electronics better. The world-class lineup includes speakers and panelists from NASA, Stellantis, Bosch, Flex, Indium, IPC, The Polytechnic University, and Vitesco. Registration is free.

IPC High Reliability Forum: Linthicum (Baltimore), Maryland, Oct. 17-19. An event for those who manufacture, design, or test Class 3 electronics for applications with unique safety, reliability, and lifetime requirements, the forum provides a unique opportunity to learn about the latest advancements in electronics, participate in industry discussions, and network with professionals focused on electronics with high reliability requirements. For more information, visit www.ipc.org/event/high-reliability-forum or contact Kim DiCianni.

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While I am encouraged that the U.S. will develop multiple high volume advanced packaging facilities, it is critical that we get the funding and leadership for a silicon-to-systems approach to U.S.  electronics manufacturing. I share my views in the Federal Times, with my opinion piece, “Biden, Congress Must Follow Through on Pentagon’s Electronics Need.”		Have you read the newest Sustainability for Electronics article in IPC Community magazine? IPC’s Lead Sustainability Strategist Kelly Scanlon delves into the significant progress achieved by IPC in its pursuit of sustainability program excellence within electronics manufacturing through the establishment of the Sustainability for Electronics Leadership Council.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US 

Meet the IPC GR Team: Whether it is engaging with policymakers in the Americas, the European Union, or Asia, the IPC Government Relations (GR) Team proactively seeks opportunities to educate, inform and influence policymakers on policies that spur innovation, growth and competition, while protecting human health and the environment. But our success depends on your support and engagement. Learn more and get involved in IPC advocacy today! IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.   

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