Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1181966
34 SMT007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2019 Feature Interview by Pete Starkey I-CONNECT007 Pete Starkey speaks with André Bodegom, managing director for Adeon Technologies in the Netherlands, about changes he has seen over the years in major industry sectors, chal- lenges in the European market, and other areas of growth. Pete Starkey: It's good to speak with you again, André. Could you please give us a brief per- sonal background to your present position? André Bodegom: I studied as what we call "a fine-instrument maker" in Holland; in Eng- land, you would say "a toolmaker." I started as a process engineer in a PCB shop in 1986. I worked in ACB in Belgium in 1992, which was part of the transition to field engineer with Adeon from 1992–1996. I moved into the field of capital equipment sales in 1996 and became a major shareholder in Adeon in 2002 and 100% owner since January 2009. Starkey: Looking at the European PCB man- ufacturing industry from your perspective, what's the most significant change you've seen in the past few years? Bodegom: The industry is always on the move toward finer lines and spaces, different surface finishes, and new materials. And if you look at the way we see the market over the past few years, I think most European PCB companies have had a fairly good run behind them. Look- ing at these PCB companies, we believe that all sectors have been growing, although at a modest rate, perhaps with one or two excep- tions like the automotive area. We've seen quite steady growth in aerospace and indus- trial, and even in telecom, datacom, and sen- sor and LED technology. The medical sector has seen some erratic movements, but it seems to be okay overall, and it's only a small part of the market. We also believe that the larger European players have all expanded in capacity, judging by their investments in additional equipment. André Bodegom on European Challenges, Automation, and Automotive