Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1221561
22 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 We're only two months into 2020, and the year has proven to be filled with changes and challenges for IPC and the electronics industry. As you know, electronics are present in ev- ery workplace and home, and that presence will only continue to grow. Our industry has brought about many advances, such as medi- cal breakthroughs, mobile computing, satel- lites, GPS systems, deep space exploration, and much more. We're building electronics better, and not just for company profit, but to make life better for everyone. In my role as president and CEO of IPC, I have the privilege of working and speaking with experts across this industry: designers, manufacturers, suppliers, OEMs, and more. When I speak to experts in the field, what strikes me most about our conversations is the accelerating pace of change and opportunity on so many fronts. This industry knows all about change. We are disruptors, and we are used to being disrupted ourselves. From smart factories to artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing, this industry will see its share of change in the coming years. IPC will be at the forefront of that change. All of us will tackle changes in the years ahead, and the companies that will thrive will be the ones who take responsibility and lead the change. These companies will embrace di- versity, change, and disruption, be the ones who build a stronger, more competitive work- force because if we are not open to diversity and change, we stop innovating. At a time when it seems like our industry and world are being shaken to the core by so much change, IPC is a force for bringing us to- gether. Here's how we do it. IPC standards and solutions are already some of the most influential in the world. They The Future of the Electronics Industry One World, One Industry by Dr. John Mitchell, IPC—ASSOCIATION CONNECTING ELECTRONICS INDUSTRIES