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140 I-CONNECT007 I REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2020 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE IBM, joined IPC in January in the new role of chief technology officer. Matt's mission will be to lead IPC's "factory of the future" stand- ards and technical research, develop a new "industry intelligence" function, and launch an Industry CTO Council. Shawn DuBravac is IPC's new chief economist, expanding IPC's research and member services around the economic trends shaping our industry. Alison James is IPC's new senior director for Europe, working closely with IPC's European mem- bers as well as European government officials, institutions, and public policy stakeholders. And Kelly Scanlon is coming up on one year in the role of director of environment, health, and safety (EHS) policy and research. Please reach out to them if you have any questions or suggestions. 4. The IPC Education Foundation continues to expand its outreach. Last year, the new IPC Education Founda- tion hosted more than 100 San-Diego-area high school students at IPC APEX EXPO for panel discussions, hands-on training in soldering PCBs, and tours of the expo floor. This year, IPCEF hosted almost 200 high school students from local schools! In its second year, IPCEF is continuing to partner with several organiza- tions to distribute basic electronics curricula to hundreds of high schools and create IPC stu- dent chapters at universities and community colleges across the country. 5. An influx of younger engineers is revitalizing IPC's membership. IPC launched the Emerging Engineer Pro- gram in 2016 to provide early-career profes- sionals with an opportunity to learn from the dedicated industry volunteers who par- ticipate in IPC standards development. This year at IPC APEX EXPO, they seemed to be everywhere. Younger professionals are also stepping into leadership roles in several key standards groups. John Mitchell's keynote speech highlighted the rise of millennials like Melby Thelakkaden of Raytheon, who has become herself involved in eight technical committees! 6. U.S. manufacturers see opportunities and challenges in defense electronics. The U.S. Defense Department is devoting increasing attention to the nation's defense industrial base, including the electronics supply chain. Representatives of the DOD's Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program attended IPC APEX EXPO 2020 and focused on several key issues. Cybersecurity and resilience also played a prominent role in discussions, with the DoD's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) causing quite a few fur- rowed brows. IPC is stepping up its member support in these areas and exploring new plat- forms for industry engagement with the DoD. 7. The coronavirus outbreak is affecting our supply chain. One of the biggest headlines outside the con- vention center—the coronavirus epidemic— was also felt inside the building, as dozens of attendees from China stayed home due to the virulent outbreak in that country. People across the industry are worried about the human toll as well as the supply chain disruptions that could arise in this crisis and future crises. IPC is collecting data on the impact of the corona- virus on the industry. To share your insights, please reach out to Shawn DuBravac. Conclusion These were my top takeaways from an IPC government relations perspective, but it cannot be said enough: The power of IPC APEX EXPO lies in the thousands of attendees who take part in standards committees, policy commit- tees, executive forums, buzz sessions, and pro- fessional development courses. Many thanks to the hundreds of companies who exhibited their goods and services and brought so much excitement to all aspects of the show. S&T Chris Mitchell is IPC's VP of global government affairs.