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Show-and-Tell-2019

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146 I-CONNECT007 I REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2019 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE 4 IPC Launched an Educational Foundation and Inspired More Than 100 Students Perhaps the most fun event of the week came when IPC hosted more than 100 high school students from the San Diego area to IPC APEX EXPO for panel discussions, hands-on training in soldering PCBs, and tours of the expo floor. These students were so inspiring—smart, curi- ous, and attracted to careers in STEM fields. The IPC Education Foundation, which launched during the show, will strive to help these stu- dents succeed. As two of its first initiatives, the foundation will partner with several organiza- tions to distribute a basic electronics curricu- lum to hundreds of high schools, and it will create IPC Student Chapters at universities and community colleges across the country. Many thanks to the IPC member companies who helped make this event a huge success includ- ing Calumet Electronics and Weller Apex Tool Group. To learn more and get more involved, contact Colette Buscemi, IPC's senior director for education programs. 5 Tesla CTO and Co-Founder JB Straubel Offered Insights on Growth and Innovation JB Straubel offered IPC APEX EXPO 2019 participants a captivating recounting of the Tesla story. Four big themes stood out. First, Tesla's founding combined the profit motive with a desire to advance environmental sus- tainability. Second, developing its first roadster meant Tesla had to challenge every automo- tive norm with little room for fallback options. Third, improving its cars today means weigh- ing financial and technological tradeoffs. And fourth, Tesla is focused on making smart stra- tegic investments that leverage its technologi- cal leadership in markets that can be scaled up. All four of these points are relevant to IPC members looking to build upon their growth and technology leadership in a very competi- tive global economy. 6 2019 Looks Good for the Electronics Industry What's the outlook for the electronics indus- try in 2019? A growing number of economists are voicing concerns about the possibility of major economies edging into recession as early as this year. Political turmoil in the U.S. and Europe, coupled with global trade disputes and a slowdown in China are doing nothing to calm fears. However, the industry members I spoke to at IPC APEX EXPO felt pretty good about 2019. Sales remain strong, companies are hiring, and the supply chain is slowly adjusting to global uncertainty. 7 IPC Government Relations Expanded its Global Reach and Grassroots Program During our IPC Government Relations Com- mittee meeting at APEX EXPO, I shared that our public affairs program continues to expand in breadth, depth, and geography. We are tak- ing on new issues including federal support for lead-free research, and we are doing so with greater support from industry experts and sea- soned policy experts in the U.S. and Europe with additional plans for long-term, strategic engagement in Asia in 2019. To get involved, contact me, follow me on Twitter, or sign up at the advocacy center on our website. These were my top takeaways from my perch atop IPC government relations, but it cannot be said enough that the power of IPC APEX EXPO lies in the thousands of attendees who take part in standards and policy com - mittees, executive forums, buzz sessions, and professional development courses. And of course, many thanks to the hundreds of com- panies who exhibited their goods and services and brought so much excitement to the show floor. S&T Chris Mitchell is IPC's VP of global government relations.

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