40 The PCB Magazine • December 2014
tain its technological leadership as it restarts its
engine of growth. There is evidence that this is
occurring. Data IPC collected for its 2014 PCB
Technology Trends study, due to be published
by the end of this year, indicates that some
North American fabricators are already embed-
ding passive components and a few are embed-
ding active components. Many more anticipate
embedding both passives and actives within the
next five years, as well as incorporating printed-
in-place features.
IPC's market research focuses on the core
elements of industry vitality: the market (de-
mand), production and inputs (supply), and
the enabling technologies. Labor is one of the
crucial inputs that is a current subject of IPC's
research. A new study on issues in the North
American labor pool for electronics manufac-
turing will also be published by the end of this
year.
For more information about the referenced
IPC market research reports, visit www.ipc.org/
market-research-reports.
PCB
Sharon Starr is director of
market research at iPc.
IPC to Release New Market Studies
by Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPO 2014
iPc director of market research
Sharon Starr discusses a
number of soon to be released
iPc market studies with guest
editor dick crowe.
realtimewith.com
CliCk
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Figure 1.
