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64 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2023 contract manufacturer with factories in China, announced its intention to diversify its sup- ply sources in late 2020, joining other compa- nies like Samsung and Mazda in their efforts to enhance supply chain resilience. Moreover, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., another Apple supplier, decided to construct a manufacturing plant in Arizona to avoid heavy reliance on China and to serve U.S. customers directly. Although China rebounded from production stoppages earlier than expected, the disrup- tion had cascading effects on trading partners who faced their production problems. Con- sequently, a Gartner, Inc. survey in 2020 indi- cated that 33% of businesses have moved some sourcing and manufacturing activities out of China or plan to do so in the next two to three years. e PCB production in Asia (except China and Japan) grew by 5.9% in 2022—especially in Taiwan and South Korea which together posted over 9% growth in PCB production. Southeast Asia seeks to become an increas- ingly active player in the PCB manufacturing sector in the coming years as companies seek to diversify their risk profiles in the face of increasing geopolitical uncertainty. ailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia are particularly well- positioned to benefit from this trend. Our Commitment to Streamlining Your Procurement Journey Partner factories around the world At ICAPE Group, we take pride in offering our clients a diverse and extensive network of partner factories spanning different conti- nents. With 27 PCB factories and 61 technical part factories, we have strategically established partnerships in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, ensuring a global reach for our cli- ents' needs. In Europe, our partner factories are in Portu- gal, Slovenia, and Macedonia, providing prox- imity and accessibility to cater to clients in the