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48 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2023 Interview by Nolan Johnson I-CONNECT007 Nolan Johnson recently met with Alun Mor- gan, technology ambassador at Ventec, and Ventec COO Mark Goodwin to discusses the industry's determination to cling to outdated processes and standards, and some potential consequences. To maintain efficiency and keep pace with the market's newest entries in Asia, Alun and Mark believe that legacy companies in the West must be open to challenging con- versations that will require questioning old practices and revising those practices toward sustainability. As Alun points out, everyone says they want change, but no one wants to lead the way. Nolan Johnson: Would you say that there's an opportunity for innovation right now? Your options are to either stay inside old niches with low margins, or to start looking for new ways to do things. In another conversation, for example, you alluded to thermal management coatings as potential replacements for heat sinks. What other ways can you see this done differently? Mark Goodwin: I don't have a clear answer to that, but I think we will start seeing manage- ment of scarce resources enter the supply chain discussion. People need to consider what they truly need for the performance they're looking for; there is no doubt in my mind there's a huge amount of unnecessary over-engineering hap- pening. For example, you must start consider- ing the scope for using a half-ounce copper foil when you're currently using one ounce, or one ounce where you're using two-ounce—those are the shis in scope we need to be anticipating. Alun Morgan: at's right. is is an opportunity to return to the point we've made before. It's critical to understand the end use. You need a clear understanding of both what the custom- ers need and what they really want, then you need to link it all together. Mark, you and I have spent our careers with companies who oen don't share information with us, which makes it impossible to offer them anything substan- tial; on the other hand, when companies share information with us, we can get them access to a fantastic supply chain offering. Goodwin: Yes, and we've done lots of business over many years. By way of example, let's talk about an issue that's been a bugbear of ours for years. Why is laminate 1.6 mm thick? It's a