IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries® has announced that “Smaller. Faster. Better. Cheaper: Trends in Electronics Manufacturing,” is the theme for the IPC Executive Market & Technology Forum European Conference, November 29-30, 2006, in Brussels, Belgium.

During the day-and-a-half event, industry leaders will share their insights on the future of electronics manufacturing and discuss developments at their companies. Marisa Blumenberg, head economist for Siemens Automation and Drives, will deliver the keynote address “World Economic Assessment and Forecast for the Electronics Industry.”  The agenda also includes sessions highlighting two IPC commissioned studies released in September 2006.  Nicholas Pearne, director of BPA Consulting, will present the results of the study they conducted for IPC, Worldwide High Speed Electronics Technology and Market Trends for the Years 2006 -2016.  Neil Moskowitz, senior consultant with Prismark Partners, will discuss the results of IPC’s study on Medical Electronics Market Opportunities for Interconnect Manufacturers.

Materials will play a major role in meeting the future demands of the industry. Dr. Neil Kirby, chief technology officer for Parlex, will discuss innovative uses of flexible materials for electronics, including low cost materials and high value products.   Concurrent sessions will follow for EMS and PCB executives with presentations on the latest in next generation materials and equipment.  In one of the EMS sessions, Malcolm Warwick of Henkel Loctite Adhesives will cover materials with a focus on the demands of convergence between traditional semiconductor and PCB assembly activities.

In recent years, the trend has been to outsource to Asia to take advantage of cheaper labor and overhead.  But, is Asia always the best option?  Michael Gasch, Data4PCB, will discuss European sourcing alternatives.  There will also be concurrent sessions for EMS and PCB executives on choosing the best low-cost production location in Europe and India, respectively.  

Representatives from Viasystems will directly address the future of printed circuit board manufacturing.  Viasystems’ president, Tim Conlon, will discuss the commodity cost impact on PCBs. “High Performance PCBs: Trends in Reliability, Functionality and Speed,” will be presented by Joan Tourne, Viasystems’ advanced technology and business director.

“No other event focuses on the needs of top managers in our industry, presenting issues of strategic importance to their companies.  It also presents a complete picture of the supply chain, from OEMs to equipment suppliers,” said Sharon Starr, director of IPC market research.  The conference will be presented in English.

Those interested in viewing a complete agenda or registering can go to www.ipc.org/ExecForumEurope.  For more information, contact Sharon Starr at +1 847-597-2817 or ÀÌ À̸ÞÀÏ ÁÖ¼Ò´Â ½ºÆԸӷκÎÅÍ º¸È£µË´Ï´Ù. º¸½Ã·Á¸é ÀÚ¹Ù½ºÅ©¸³Æ®¸¦ È°¼ºÈ­ ÇϽʽÿä .