IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
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20 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2026 with silicon to systems. It refers to a combination of component-level and system-level packaging that together form a complete system. Devan, what are the reasons for focusing the technical conference on AEP? Devan Iyer: In March 2025, Matt and I, along with Peter Tranitz, Chris Jorgensen, and Tracy Riggan of the Technology Solution team, created an advanced electronic packaging strategy for the benefit of the global electronics industry. We executed that strategy through- out the year. We started with one joint session at IEEE's 75th Electronic Compo- nents and Technology conference in May, which was the first time we officially talked about why we are doing what we are doing. The reception to that session was very positive. Then, in July, we developed and hosted a work- shop in Berlin specifically focused on component- to-system level packaging for automotive and industrial applications. In October, we expanded our focus into Asia with a fully packed session in Taiwan at the IMPACT conference, that brought together OEMs, IDMs, OSATs, and EMS and PCB profes- sionals. We extended that approach to Malaysia in November for an AEP workshop primarily centered on high-performance computing and memory. We have been steadily advancing this concept of system-level and component-level packaging inte- gration over the past year through these different technical sessions and workshops. Now, we are turning it into a full-fledged confer- ence for APEX EXPO 2026. Kelly: Devan and I have been told over and over that there is a big need for a multidisciplinary approach to helping OEMs and IDMs solve their product develop- ment challenges. In other words, many conferences are siloed by a particular topic. The value of this confer- ence is the cross-pollination it enables, having one spot to get information on leading-edge design, testing, materials and assembly, including PCB and PCBA. What better place than APEX EXPO to have that take hold and take shape? Where better to bring the industry together to discuss all the domains? So, this year's technical conference is an expansion of what we've been offering through the Association for many years. It sounds like this is not the same type of advanced packaging con- ference as many people might think when they hear the term. Kelly: That's correct. It's unique, and that distinction is important. It is also worth mentioning that we are not trying to compete with the other conferences organized by professional societies like IEEE and others. The objec- tive is to bring component and system level packaging experts together to share their views about upcoming challenges and discuss possible paths to mitigate those challenges. Let's now talk about the conference programming. Udo and Stan, you are quite experienced in your roles as co-chairs of the Technical Program Com- mittee (TPC). What do you want readers to know about the program schedule for this year's techni- cal conference? Stan Rak: Traditionally, the technical conference took place on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thurs- day. It now starts at 1:30 p.m. Monday. If you want to learn the latest and greatest in advanced elec- tronic packaging for high performance computing, Monday will be a great session. Udo Welzel: We have created a sched- ule for Tuesday and Wednesday to allow for as many time slots as possi- ble over these two days. To maxi- mize time use, we'll have sessions presenting five papers in a row. We will also run sessions until 5:30 p.m., instead of ending at 5 p.m. Will all the focus of the conference be on advanced packaging? Welzel: Consider this a strategic evolu- tion. Matt and his team have introduced the concept of "silicon to systems." The TPC has been working with Matt and Devan, embracing this evolu D eva n I ye r M at t Ke l l y