Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1443477
10 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2022 Feature Interview by Nolan Johnson I-CONNECT007 Nolan Johnson speaks with Tarja Rapala- Virtanen, technical director of the EIPC, who breaks down the current state of the European market and which technologies and market segments are seeing growth. Nolan Johnson: Tarja, how would you describe the current European marketplace? Is this a time of refinement? How about innovation or growth? Tarja Rapala-Virtanen: I would say it's a time of innovation, but how good are they? How can they manage to do the implementation, NPI, and prototyping to show the reliability, quality, and features that can be fulfilled, while simultaneously meeting all the necessary technical requirements for the product? e requirements are becoming harder, but engi- neers are clever. ere are some very interest- ing new technologies coming for the additive technologies. Johnson: What are the drivers for that innova- tion? Some of it is responding to COVID. Other parts are a response to customer demands and technology requirements. Rapala-Virtanen: I think one reason the addi- tive is pushed is sustainability. If you look at, for example, Continental, Infenion, Bosch, all these suppliers for automotive are very strong on sustainability and CO 2 emission. I'm from Scandinavia and, as you know, Scandinavian countries have always been active in environ- mental development. It's understood here that something must be done. It's clear that the additive technology also improves the capability; instead of etching away [the copper] you only plate where it is needed and simultaneously the fine line reso- lution is improved. Of course, the manufactur- ing technology selection depends on the end customer product design, which PCB manu- facturing technology is used. Johnson: Correct me if I'm wrong, but auto- motive as an industry plays a large part in the European market. Rapala-Virtanen: Yes, it does. Technology and Development Prospects for the European Marketplace