7/26/24

Chris Mitchell
Vice President, Global Government Relations

The Headlines at a Glance: 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

• Gen Z Embraces a More Diverse Spectrum of Career Pathways

UNITED STATES

• The World Runs on Electronics, and Electronics Depend on Chemistry
• IPC Education Team Makes Significant Strides in Washington
• IPC Applauds $400M Investment to Boost Advanced Packaging in Arizona
• U.S. to Invest $1.6B in Advanced Packaging R&D
• Strategic Challenges in Building Up Domestic Electronics Capability

EUROPEAN UNION

• More Momentum for EU Electronics Manufacturing Strategy
• Electronics: The Achilles’ Heel of EU Strategic Autonomy

SUSTAINABILITY & ENVIRONMENT

• IPC Supports Push for Sustainable Chemistry in Electronics Industry
• Webinar Recap: Tackling Circularity Challenges in Electronics Manufacturing
• China Introduces Amended Restrictions on Phthalates in 2026

UPCOMING EVENTS

• IPC APEX EXPO 2025: Anaheim, California, USA (March 15-20, 2025)

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The electronics manufacturing industry struggles with worker shortages despite recent investments in the semiconductor sector. IPC, a nonprofit supporting the industry, is launching apprenticeship programs and promoting opportunities for students, but there is more work to be done to build awareness and interest in this important sector.” — Maria Flynn, CEO of Jobs for the Future (JFF), writing in Forbes Magazine about Gen Z embracing a more diverse spectrum of career pathways thanks to an ever-widening array of education and training options.

UNITED STATES

The World Runs on Electronics, and Electronics Depend on Chemistry: IPC was pleased to participate as an exhibitor at a Congressional reception hosted by the American Chemistry Council on July 23 in Washington, DC. Organized with the Alliance for Chemical Distribution, the American Chemical Society, and the Congressional Chemistry Caucus, the event spotlighted chemistry's critical roles in powering technology and supporting electronics manufacturing. Rich Cappetto, IPC’s Senior Director of North American Government Relations, met with dozens of congressional staff and industry representatives from across the chemical and material supply ecosystem. Cappetto stressed the importance of chemistry in manufacturing PCBs, PCBAs, wire harnesses, and advanced packaging, highlighting its indispensable link to electronics. A secure and resilient supply chain, from silicon to systems, requires manufacturers to maintain access to the safe use of chemicals that enable electronics manufacturing. Regulation of these essential chemicals must be practical, cost-effective, and risk-prioritized to allow U.S. manufacturers to innovate and compete globally. As the industry faces growing demands, IPC continues to advocate for policies that strengthen both the electronics supply chain and the chemistry that drives it. IPC Contact:  Rich Cappetto.

IPC Education Team Makes Significant Strides in Washington: Vice President of Education David Hernandez and his team spent several days in Washington, forging relationships with leaders and policymakers in the national workforce development arena. IPC actively participated in the prestigious annual Horizons Summit, hosted by Jobs for the Future, which brings together leaders from education, workforce development, business, government, and philanthropy to explore innovative strategies for creating equitable economic advancement opportunities. At the summit, IPC showcased its pioneering registered apprenticeship programs and engaged with thought leaders from the American Enterprise Institute, Apprenticeships for America, Bipartisan Policy Center, Progressive Policy Institute, Urban Institute, and others, highlighting both challenges and opportunities for the electronics industry. Hernandez also met with the office of Senator Mike Braun (R-IN), a key supporter of the Youth Apprenticeship Act, as well as the majority staff of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. IPC emphasized that U.S. electronics manufacturers are vital to national security and economic competitiveness, and current workforce challenges are hindering the industry. The strategy for overcoming these challenges, unveiled at APEX 2024, received widespread approval from both thought leaders and policymakers. IPC Contact: David Hernandez

IPC Applauds $400M Investment to Boost Advanced Packaging in Arizona: IPC commends the U.S. Department of Commerce for announcing a preliminary agreement on a significant $400 million direct investment in Amkor Technology to enhance advanced packaging technologies in Arizona. This investment is set to create an estimated 2,000 jobs and facilitate the packaging and testing of millions of chips for IT and communications infrastructure, including 5G/6G and large-scale data centers. This commitment exemplifies the practical implementation of the CHIPS for America strategy, which highlights advanced packaging as one of its four main pillars. IPC has been a strong advocate for robust investment in advanced packaging and OSAT, and its influential report on Advanced Packaging was cited by the Department of Commerce in its strategic plan. IPC Contact: Rich Cappetto

U.S. to Invest $1.6B in Advanced Packaging R&D: In another advocacy win for IPC and our allies, the Biden administration announced it is investing up to $1.6B in R&D for advanced packaging of semiconductors as part of the CHIPS for America program. The investment will drive R&D in five key areas and address the growing demand for advanced packaging driven by applications like artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and low-power electronics. According to IPC, citing Defense Department data, the U.S. currently accounts for only about 3% of global advanced packaging, with most of this work being done in Asia. In a New York Times story, IPC’s Chris Mitchell said, “Today’s announcement is another important step in the right direction.” Mitchell reacted to the announcement with additional commentary in an article by Fierce Electronics. IPC has advocated a “silicon-to-system" approach to the CHIPS Act, including not only chips but also adjacent technologies such as packaging and IC substrates, to ensure the resilience and security of the supply chain. Further details will be shared in an upcoming webinar on CHIPS.gov. IPC Contact: Rich Cappetto

Strategic Challenges in Building Domestic Electronics Manufacturing: As billions in strategic investments flow into the U.S. microelectronics industry, policymakers seem to face challenges in supporting the entire electronics supply chain. In a Q&A with SMT007 Magazine, IPC’s Chris Mitchell highlights the complexities in aligning government funding with industry needs. Despite the governments’ oft-stated understanding of our position and their eagerness to revive domestic manufacturing, they seem to face uphill battles to implement IPC’s holistic “silicon-to-systems” strategy. Mitchell emphasizes the need for the U.S. and all governments to help modernize facilities, foster trusted supply chains, invest in R&D, and expand the skilled workforce. He underscores the urgency of achieving strategic autonomy amid the risk of supply chain disruptions, noting the importance of government and industry collaboration in addressing current vulnerabilities and ensuring future competitiveness. Read the story in SMT007 Magazine. IPC Contact: Chris Mitchell.

EUROPEAN UNION

More Momentum for EU Electronics Manufacturing Strategy: IPC continues to champion the European electronics manufacturing industry through its Industry Call to Action, supporting the sector “from silicon to systems.” This month, IPC and Acsiel held high-level meetings with European Commission Cabinets to discuss the agenda and findings from IPC’s recent industry study, which predicts further declines in Europe’s global market share and increasing risks to critical sectors such as aerospace and defense. Since the Call to Action was issued in early June, dozens of additional companies and organizations have signed on, including the European Space Agency. The Call to Action urges the adoption of an Electronics Manufacturing Strategy under the European Commission’s next five-year mandate, including investments and policies to reduce EU dependencies in semiconductors, health, and digital technologies. IPC invites everyone with an interest in EU electronics manufacturing to read IPC’s press release, review the report, and support the industry Call-to-Action. IPC Contact: Alison James

Electronics Manufacturing: The Achilles’ Heel of EU Strategic Autonomy: In a piece published in Euractiv, one of the most-read publications in Brussels, IPC’s Alison James, Senior Director Europe, emphasizes the critical need for Europe to bolster its electronics manufacturing sector to achieve industrial resilience, regional security, and technological progress. Despite the passage of the European Chips Act, Europe’s electronics industry remains heavily dependent on non-EU countries, risking strategic autonomy. She spotlights IPC’s new report titled Securing EU’s Electronics Ecosystem, which reveals a decline in Europe’s market share in electronics manufacturing and calls for a dedicated “Electronics Manufacturing Strategy” and a Strategic Electronics Manufacturing Act to strengthen the value chain and ensure global competitiveness. Read the story, and for more details on IPC’s work in the EU, visit www.ipc.org/EU. IPC Contact: Alison James.

SUSTAINABILITY & ENVIRONMENT

IPC Supports Push for Sustainable Chemistry in Electronics Industry: IPC has endorsed a letter from Change Chemistry, a coalition of over 100 members dedicated to promoting safer and sustainable chemistry in the marketplace, to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The letter emphasizes the need for the upcoming Sustainable Chemistry Strategy Report to address the critical “pain points” the electronics industry faces in transitioning to safer, more sustainable products. Change Chemistry is organizing two upcoming policy events that anticipate the OSTP strategy report: a Congressional briefing on July 31 entitled, “Growing the Sustainable Chemistry Sector,” as well as a Forum and Roundtable co-hosted with the Department of Energy on August 1 entitled, “Scaling Sustainable Chemistry for Industry Transformation.” IPC members and friends in the Washington, DC area are welcome to attend. Register for the Congressional briefing here and for the Forum and Roundtable here. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon

Webinar Recap: Tackling Circularity Challenges in Electronics Manufacturing: On July 17, IPC and iNEMI hosted an in-depth webinar recapping their recent workshop in June held at the Electronics Goes Green conference in Berlin, focusing on the pressing circularity challenges in electronics manufacturing. The webinar, featuring presentations by Kelly Scanlon, IPC’s lead sustainability strategist, and Mark Schaffer, project manager at iNEMI, covered industry-driven solutions such as new standards, better data, and educational resources to promote the adoption of circularity. Based on feedback received during the webinar, working groups focused on priority problem areas will convene beginning in September with the goal of proposing actionable solutions by the end of 2024. Read more on the IPC Blog, and access the webinar recording, slide deck, and poll results for more details. To learn more or get involved, contact IPC. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

China Introduces Amended Restrictions on Phthalates in 2026: China’s State Administration of Market Regulation has issued the first amendment to the national standard GB/T 26572-2011, which specifies restrictions on hazardous substances in electronics, in alignment with China RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances). This amendment introduces four types of phthalates, which are chemicals used to make plastics more durable. These include Diisobutyl Phthalate (DIBP), Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Benzyl Butyl Phthalate (BBP), and Bis(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP) with a regulated concentration limit of 0.1%. This amendment will come into effect on January 1, 2026. For more details, see the official announcement. IPC Contact: Kelly Scanlon.

UPCOMING EVENTS

IPC APEX EXPO 2025: Anaheim, California, USA (March 15-20, 2025) – Discover the newest innovations and hear from the best minds in the electronics manufacturing industry. IPC APEX EXPO 2025 will be our industry’s largest event in North America featuring a world-class trade show, professional development courses taught by industry experts, non-stop networking and more. Learn more here.

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It’s fair to say that GenZ is questioning the ROI of college degrees and has begun exploring a variety of different career paths. With over a million credentials available, from apprenticeships to certificates, the options are vast but can be overwhelming, many of which do not require a four-year degree. A recent Morning Consult survey by Jobs for the Future (JFF) and American Student Assistance found that one-third of young people aged 16-24 are unsure about their career direction. This lack of clarity affects 10 million young people. Schools need to enhance career guidance by using tools like ASCA’s Career Conversation Starters and digital resources like Roadtrip Nation.

IPC Presses EU Governments on ‘Silicon-to-Systems’ Strategic Concerns: In Brussels and beyond, IPC and the European electronics manufacturing industry are making the case for a “silicon-to-systems” industrial strategy. Recently, IPC published a new report in partnership with DECISION Etudes & Conseil and IN4MA, “Securing the European Union’s Electronics Ecosystem,” which predicts a further decline in Europe’s global market share and rising risks to critical sectors, including aerospace and defense. IPC also issued a “Call to Action” supported by more than 30 companies and 15 trade associations, urging the adoption of an Electronics Manufacturing Strategy under the European Commission’s next five-year mandate.

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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