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20 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2026 Workforce and Engineering The Global Electronic Association's 2024 Talent Shortage Brief8 estimates tens of thousands of unfilled roles in North America alone, particularly in automation, test engineering, and process development. The imbalance between technology complexity and available skill sets con- tinues to widen. The upshot here is not that auto- mation and AI are taking away jobs. Rather, these new technologies require a higher-skilled work- force. EMS organizations, therefore, must focus on transforming their existing workforce. The con- cept of the "super operator" persists, as many EMS companies cannot afford to staff their floors with highly skilled technicians. Instead, machine opera- tors can evolve to be data-literate technicians who work alongside AI systems, provide the human intuitive analysis, and adjust processes based on AI's pattern recognition and human experience. Companies that invest in structured training pro- grams and retention initiatives will be better posi- tioned to weather the ongoing talent shortage. Shrinking NPI Cycles Perhaps the most visible and immediate operational shift is the accelerating pace of development. In many market segments, cus- tomers now demand prototypes within days and expect nearly immediate transitions from prototype to volume production. Wolfe shares the trend of design files arriving at manufacturing before they are ready. Automated quoting, real-time manufacturabil- ity checks, and rapid transition from prototype to production was once a differentiator for an EMS; as the entire design-to-production workflow inte- grates, that differentiator has started turning into a cost of doing business, a "me too." EMS organiza- tions that remain dependent on manual processes will fall behind. Design-tool vendors also bear responsibility here. Manufacturers increasingly expect design tools to integrate manufacturability scoring directly into the engineer's workflow. They want a single- click mechanism that packages all design, fabri- cation, and assembly data into a complete digital format that transitions seamlessly into fabrication and EMS processes. Vendors that streamline these transitions will help shorten NPI timelines across the entire ecosystem. Manufacturers who make pre-manufacture consulting a key part of their offering will earn the loyalty of less experienced designers. Conclusion While AI is reshaping factory floors, regional sup- ply chains are altering cost structures and compet- itive strategies. Chiplets and advanced packag- ing are blurring the gap between silicon, substrate, and PCB domains, and sustainability is becoming a regulated obligation rather than a voluntary ini- tiative. High-speed design and miniaturization are raising the bar for precision. Workforce gaps are pushing companies toward automation and internal talent development. NPI cycles are compressing to levels unimaginable just a few years ago. What's clear from this discussion is that well-thought-out data collection, enabling meaningful process analysis, coupled with an open integration of that data into a product's entire man- ufacturing chain, is at the root of advancing each of these trends. The companies poised to succeed in 2026 are the ones that have already adopted a systems- level mindset. EMS providers, PCB fabricators, and design-tool vendors must operate not as isolated entities but as interconnected partners within a shared digital and operational ecosystem. Those who step into this new paradigm with urgency and purpose will define the competitive landscape for the rest of the decade. SMT007 References 1. "Interconnected: Global Electronics Trade in an Age of Disruption," 2025. 2. "Global Value Chains: Reconfiguration and Resilience," McKinsey & Company and others, 2024. 3. "How to Build a Resilient Supply Chain in Electronics Manufacturing," by Stacey Peterson, Global Trade Daily, Aug. 25, 2025. 4. "EMS Status in the D-A-CH Region 2024 and 2025 Forecast," by Anastasia Ederer, productronica, November 2025. 5. "The European EMS-Industry 2025," by Christoph Solka, productronica, November 2025. 6. "Advanced Packaging Market Report," SEMI, 2024. 7. "Real Time with… THECA 2024: Innovation and Economy in Factory Design Is Just Smart," I-Connect007, Aug. 14, 2024. 8. "Electronics Manufacturing Industry Outlook and Talent Shortage Brief," Global Electronics Association, 2024. 7 6