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30 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2022 Feature Interview by Andy Shaughnessy I-CONNECT007 If you've had the chance to peruse the sched- ule for IPC APEX EXPO 2023, you may have noticed something surprising: A good chunk of the classes cover PCB design this year. While it may be traditionally considered a PCB fab and assembly show, it's quickly becom- ing a destination for PCB designers and design engineers. Flipping through this year's sched- ule, I counted 15 Professional Development and Technical Conference classes that focus on PCB design, as well as several fabrication classes that many of you should probably take. I checked in with Carlos Plaza, IPC's senior director of educational development, to dis- cuss the organization's drive to present more PCB design curriculum at the upcoming show and how the show can give designers the tools they need to overcome the many challenges currently facing the industry. Andy Shaughnessy: Carlos, I notice that there are more PCB design classes on the docket this year, as well as a bigger focus on design overall at the show. Was that one of your objec- tives for 2023? Carlos Plaza: Yes. To accommodate the large number of registrants we've had this year, we've expanded the availability of our exist- ing courses so that participants now have more opportunities to take high-demand courses like PCB Design I & II, PCB Design for Military Applications, and Advanced Troubleshooting and Defect Analysis. We have also responded to industry members' requests for additional courses on highly topical subjects. Look for new courses on design for excellence, trou- bleshooting for PCB assembly, implementing Industry 4.0 technologies, and more. Designing a Sustainable Future