IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
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48 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2026 This resulted in a 15-minute broadcast segment and online story seen around the world and, most importantly, in Washington. Membership PCBAA started out with five members five years ago. The association is now approaching 100 members, has achieved solid recognition in Washington D.C., and has a strong social media following. Our mem- bers will gather in Washington, D.C., June 16-18, for the fifth PCBAA annual meeting. A record number of attendees will hear an impressive lineup of speak- ers from Congress, the Pentagon, aerospace and defense companies, the Commerce Department, and engage in networking and discussions about the PCB industry. Attendees will also spend a day on Capitol Hill meeting with legislators and their staff to educate, advocate and champion legislation that will help reshore and restore our industry. Next month, I will report on what we heard from speakers at the Annual Meeting, as well as the chal- lenges and opportunities we see for the second half of the year. If you are in the PCB industry and not yet a member, sign up today, and help us reshore and restore the American PCB industry. I-CONNECT007 Shane Whiteside is presi- dent and CEO of Summit Interconnect and current chair of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America. To read past columns, click here. The European PCB and Electronics Industries Score a Major Win in Chips 2.0 Milestone Anyone in the PCB industry knows the frus- tration: Electronics policy discussions often begin and end with semiconductors. Yet chips don't func- tion in a vacuum, and policymakers are increas- ingly recognizing that reality. For years, the PCB industry has argued that electronics manufactur- ing is about far more than chips alone. Now, the European Union appears to be listening. In a mile- stone development for the electronics ecosystem, the EU's proposed Chips Act 2.0 expands its focus beyond semiconductors to include electronics manufacturing, explicitly naming PCBs, PCB inte- gration, IC substrates, advanced packaging, and system integration as strategic technologies. Following a recent announcement in Brussels, I visited with Alison James, senior director of gov- ernment relations in Europe for the Global Elec- tronics Association, to discuss what this achieve- ment means, why it matters, and how years of advocacy have helped elevate PCB manufactur- ing from an overlooked supply-chain component to a recognized pillar of Europe's industrial and defense strategy. BY M A RCY L A RO N T, I - C O N N ECT 0 07 Marcy LaRont: Alison, tell me more about the EU's announcement on the Chips Act 2.0. Why is it important to the electronics industry? Alison James: The announcement was that the new Chips Act 2.0 takes a broader ecosystem approach beyond semiconductors, which is something we've been advocating for. Under the First of a Kind provision that enables Member States to support production capacity, the legis- lation now includes electronics manufacturing. That explicitly includes PCB manufacturing and integration, IC substrates, advanced packaging, and system integration. Having PCBs explicitly named in major legislation is a significant development. It is. PCB manufacturing and integration are spe- cifically included in the European Chips Act, and that represents an important recognition of the role the broader electronics ecosystem plays in technology and industrial competitiveness. Read the rest of the interview here. A M E R I CA N M A D E A DVO CACY