Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1543584
MARCH 2026 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 7 nological complexity. In this issue, we look at how Europe is responding to these challenges. Alison James, who leads government relations in Europe for the Global Electronics Association, updates us the EU Chips Act and the Associa- tion's call-to-action letter emphasizing the strate- gic importance of defense to European PCB manu- facturing. While there are simultaneous challenges, James is hopeful. "This is a key moment for EU electronics manufacturing," she says. We're also including more of Pete Starkey's report from EIPC, which thoroughly covers both technical and finan- cial topics. Europe's non-military business is strongly built around automotive OEMs, where reliability and sustainability continue to drive development. As such, Diana Radovan, the Association's sustainabil- ity policy director, shares updates on both PFAS and the EU's Omnibus bill. Stan Rak continues his series on reliability in EVs, with a look at vehicle safety systems. Continuing our business coverage in Europe, we spoke with the leadership at the UK's Connex- ion Technologies and Italy's OMR Italia to learn N O L A N ' S N OT E S more about their recent strategic partnership to leverage their respective strengths. Their goal is to improve their competitiveness by working together, rather than separately. We also spoke to Christian Thers of SMT Renting, a Denmark-based business with a unique model to help lower barri- ers to capital upgrades. In fact, it's Craig Wright, CEO of Connexion Technologies, who makes the hopeful statement, "Resilience isn't about replacing global supply chains; it's about strengthening the European layer within them. The future of manufacturing in Europe will be more collaborative, more connected, and more specialised." Rounding out the issue, Brian Buyea of Remtec continues his increasingly popular column on how packaging choices affect performance. As defense priorities in Europe grow and supply chains are reassessed, and as industry and policy- makers push to rebuild regional capability, you will undoubtedly hear more about Europe's strength- ening electronics ecosystem. Never underestimate this region of the world. They always find a way to come back stronger. Nolan Johnson is managing editor of SMT007 Magazine. Nolan brings 30 years of career experience focused almost entirely on electron- ics design and manufac- turing. To contact Johnson, click here. " Never underestimate this region of the world. They always find a way to come back stronger."