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20 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2022 Feature Article by Dan Beaulieu D.B. MANAGEMENT GROUP ese are interesting times we live in. e pandemic brought on with many dark clouds of challenges, from restrictions on visiting cus- tomers and attending trade shows, to business closures and the scarcity of goods, especially those imports from Asia (particularly China). Everyone has faced some sort of challenge for almost two years. But the good news is that every dark cloud has a silver lining, and the smart companies in our industry are taking advantage of every sil- ver lining they can see. Here are some of the trends (silver linings) that the pandemic has brought us as well as what some of the smart- er and more forward-looking PCB and PCBA companies are doing to take advantage of them. Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining New Inspirational Innovation Our world is just exploding with new ideas right now. e pandemic-caused shutdown has served as a sabbatical to many creative and innovative people. We are seeing a surge in the arts, for example. Musicians are putting out more songs than ever. Artists and writers have been more inspired, and most impor- tantly to us, there is an increase in innovative electronics. Look around and you will be astonished at what is being brought to life just in the medical field—new devices, less expensive ventilators, respirators, purification devices, and no-touch products like door openers. e pandemic cre- ated an obvious need for products like these and others. e best part is they want them built right here where they know their ideas— their intellectual property—will be protected.