Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1493797
20 SMT007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2023 e second part of the special session fea- tured a panel discussion: • Alex Preciado, product launch engineering manager at Rivian, spoke about the many design and manufacturing implications of new applications for electronics in e-mobil- ity, such as thermal dissipation, heavy cop- per designs, and narrow pad-to-pad pitches. • Both Welzel and April Butterfield, vice pres- ident of engineering, regulated industries, automotive and transportation at Jabil, chal- lenged the automotive industry to take a holistic view and build understanding across industry to reach the acceleration we need in technology development, address- ing power level challenges, and discourag- ing the creation of individualized standards. • Jason Schwartz, business development manager at KYZEN, touched on the lack of skilled labor in both automotive and elec- tronics, as well as lack of time for process development, automation, and continuous improvement. e key message of the day was that collaboration and communica- tion across industries are necessary to address the technical challenges, the limits of which are increasingly pushed by competition, consumer demand, and government safety regulations. e aim of defining the scope of e-mobility and challenges was met, but many in the audience were hoping for a deeper dive into the technical challenges. ursday's panel discussion certainly set the stage for these conversations to hap- pen in 2023 and beyond. We look forward to more legacy automakers, startups, charging com- panies, e-mobility suppliers, and oth- ers to join or bring challenges to IPC's e-Mobility Quality and Reliability Advisory Council, bring e-mobility concerns to standards development task group discussions, and bring solutions to the IPC Technical Program Committee as part of the IPC APEX EXPO call for papers. e e-mobility session is supported by IPC's e-Mobility Quality and Reliability Advisory Council and closely aligns with the council's mission to help deliver e-mobility quality, reli- ability, and safety while protecting the drive for innovation. IPC appreciates the efforts of the co-chairs for the Technical Program Committee spe- cial sessions, Brian O'Leary, global head of e-mobility and infrastructure at Indium, and Jason Schwartz, business development man- ager at KYZEN, as well as TPC members Dr. Stanton Rak and Udo Welzel for their support and guidance on bringing e-mobility issues to the forefront. SMT007 Tracy Riggan is senior director of business, Solutions, at IPC.