This weeks edition of Global Insight
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May 13, 2025 
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Featured Content

IPC White Paper Maps the Regulatory Terrain for Electronics Suppliers in E-Mobility Sector

Electronics suppliers supporting the rapidly growing e-mobility sector are facing a dramatic escalation in environmental and social governance (ESG) compliance expectations.

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Industry News

IPC Strengthens Global Focus with Promotion of Sanjay Huprikar to Chief Global Officer

IPC announces the promotion of Sanjay Huprikar to chief global officer. This newly created position reflects the association’s forward-looking strategy and industry needs to strengthen the electronics supply chain.

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We Asked, You Answered on U.S. Tax and Trade Priorities

For businesses across the electronics industry, U.S. federal tax policy is not just about accounting. Nor are tariffs solely about suppliers and logistics. These policies are much bigger, affecting our decisions about investment, innovation, hiring, and global competition.

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Reflections from Circularity 25: Moving from Why to How

Recently, IPC Sustainability Program Manager Seth Jacobsen attended Circularity 25 in Denver—a gathering of professionals working to advance circular solutions across industries. With hundreds of voices at the intersection of design, policy, technology, and business, the message was clear: Circularity is not just an environmental imperative—it’s a smart business strategy.

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Industry Coalition Calls for EC Strategy on Electronics Ecosystem

This week, IPC and a coalition of European associations representing hundreds of companies across the EU sent a joint letter to European Commission Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen, urging a broader approach to industrial policy beyond semiconductors.

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Circularity Challenges Create Need for Tailored Policies

In Sustainable Brands, IPC Lead Sustainability Strategist Dr. Kelly Scanlon makes the case that advancing electronics circularity should be front and center in policy discussions.

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New IPC Standard Sets First Global Benchmark for E-Textile Wearable Reliability

IPC announces the release of IPC-8981, Quality and Reliability of E-Textile Wearables. This first-of-its-kind standard sets baselines for testing and classifying e-textile wearables, addressing key challenges in product reliability, performance, and quality assurance.

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Calculating the ROI of Training

Measuring the effectiveness of training requires a systematic approach to data collection and analysis. Here’s a step-by-step guide to calculating the ROI of your training programs.

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Sustainability as a Competitive Edge: Survey Insights & IPC’s New Program to Support the Electronics Industry

The electronics industry holds a dual responsibility: to create products that drive sustainable solutions to urgent global challenges and to ensure that manufacturing processes and materials minimize harm to human health and the environment. IPC recently surveyed the electronics industry to assess current perspectives on these commitments.

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Building Bridges and Setting Standards: How a Small Group of Pioneers Transformed the Wire Harness Industry

The Wiring Harness Manufacturer’s Association (WHMA) is a testament to the power of collaboration, vision, and a shared commitment to industry excellence.

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Leadership That Inspires Change

I-Connect007’s Barry Matties shares insights into a career driven by passion, creativity and mentorship.

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Elevating Electronics Expertise with IPC's Process Optimization Courses

IPC developed two new comprehensive courses designed to empower professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in implementing IPC standards: Ensuring Excellence: IPC-A-610 Process Optimization and Ensuring Excellence: IPC-J-STD-001 Process Optimization.

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Play a Role in the Future of the Electronics Industry

Are you ready to capitalize on what is next and join our team of dedicated, skilled and enthusiastic employees? Here are current job openings:
• Standards Development Manager, Taiwan Region
• Master IPC Trainer (MIT), Taiwan Region
• Chief Information Officer

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My Top Three Reads

This week's picks from Dave Hernandez

Vice President of Education, IPC

On April 30, organizations around the United States celebrated National Apprenticeship Day, showcasing the value of registered apprenticeship programs in addressing workforce challenges and celebrating the success stories across industries. Leading into National Apprenticeship Day, the president signed an executive order to call attention to the importance of the national apprenticeship system and to call for additional investment in rebuilding the American workforce. For those that might have missed it, here is a link to the Executive Order Fact Sheet
 

Apprenticeships have long been part of the workforce solutions for countries around the world, as they provide structured career pathways that combine training with credentialling to rapidly upskill participants. While the adoption of an apprenticeship program does require an investment of time by organizations to adopt, the mid to long term value they produce far outweigh these costs. This article below discusses the value of apprenticeship programs and how companies should be looking at the ROI. 
 

In 2023 IPC launched the first three nationally registered apprenticeships for electronics manufacturing: Electronic Assembler, Printed Circuit Board Fabricator, and PCB Design Engineer. In this article below, Cory Blaylock, IPC Director of Workforce Partnerships, highlights the adoption of the PCB Design Engineer Apprenticeship program by Re:Build Manufacturing. 
 

Lastly, I wanted to take a moment and plug a recent op-ed I wrote with Brent Orrell from the American Enterprise Institute in which we argue that the US investment in the semiconductor industry should be matched by an equally large investment in the broader electronics ecosystem. In the piece we also explore how the wage differential between manufacturing jobs and other roles contributes to the workforce challenge. 
 

 

IPC Events and Education Calendar – For Your 2025 Planning

Plan your professional development with IPC’s Programs Calendar. Maximize your time and efforts by coordinating your schedule with ours.

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Help Build the Industry’s Future: Become an IPC Emerging Engineer or Mentor

IPC launched the Emerging Engineer program in 2016 to provide professionals early in their careers an opportunity to learn from the dedicated industry volunteers who participate in standards development.

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Tech Question of the Week

Scratches on Insulated Metal Materials

Is there an IPC standard that provides requirements on the acceptable depth of a scratch on insulated metal materials (MS)?

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IPC Member Milestones

Calumet Electronics Corp. (Calumet, Mich.) celebrated its 35th year as an IPC member. See other companies celebrating membership anniversaries. 

Member Anniversaries 

New Members

Invest in your company by joining IPC and experience the membership benefits of the industry’s premier global association. Learn more about IPC membership.

IPC Events
A Deep Dive of Applying AI in Electronic Manufacturing
May 14, 2025

IPC Hand Soldering Competition 2025 Regional Qualification - Italy
May 21-22, 2025

Scope 3 Greenhouse Gas Disclosure in the Electronics Industry
May 22, 2025

Road to Reliability: Design for Reliability - a Technology Solutions Webinar Series for e-Mobility Electronics Hardware Reliability
May 22, 2025

IPC EMS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Roundtable
June 3-4, 2025

IPC Day Mil-Aero Toulouse
June 4-5, 2025

Component-to-System Level Packaging - Addressing Integration Challenges for Automotive & Industrial Applications
July 2, 2025

IPC WorksAsia-AI & Factory of the Future
August 22, 2025

IPC Builds-Standards Development Committee Meetings
September 13-18, 2025

IPC CEMAC 2025
September 24-26, 2025

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Barb Hockaday
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+1 916-365-1727


Editorial Content
Sandy Gentry
SandyGentry@ipc.org
+1 847-597-2871

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