In a recent interview conducted by technology journalist Himanshu Vaibhav of eletimes.com and timesev.com, Dr. John W. Mitchell, President & CEO of IPC, discussed pivotal micro-trends poised to influence the future of the electronics sector in the upcoming years. The conversation revolved around the industry’s response to these micro-trends, strategies being implemented to maintain a competitive edge, anticipated challenges hindering the realization of their full potential, and potential solutions, among other pertinent topics.
TimesEV: What are some of the most significant micro-trends that are shaping the future of electronics in the coming years?
Dr John Mitchell: Key micro trends impacting the electronics industry include computers in everything, connected/smart everything, datafication, artificial intelligence, extended reality, digital trust, 3D printing, gene editing and synthetic biology, nanotechnology and materials science, new energy solutions, and 5G/6G cellular technology. If I had to pick my top microtrends that are shaping the future of electronics, it would be computers in everything, connected/smart everything, datafication and 5G/6G cellular technology.
TimesEV: How is the electronics industry adapting to these micro-trends, and what strategies are being employed to stay ahead of the curve?
Dr John Mitchell: Depending upon the micro trend, various activities are happening. Companies are making investments in new capabilities (automation, 3D printing, AI) as well as training and hiring to utilize these microtrends to help their companies remain or become more important in the future.
TimesEV: Provide examples of how these micro-trends are already influencing the development of new electronic products and services.
Dr John Mitchell: Automation has been changing the speed and accuracy of the electronics industry for a few decades now. Those improvements continue to impact and change what can be made in the electronics industry. AI has been used in the analysis of manufacturing systems as well to optimize and make processes more efficient. Additive electronics have begun prototyping new PCB products providing smaller and different possibilities in PCB design.
TimesEV: What challenges do you foresee in fully harnessing the potential of these micro-trends, and how can the industry overcome them?
Dr John Mitchell: Some of these technologies will require investments that are costly and may take time to implement. If your organization cannot keep up as change occurs, you might find yourself at a severe disadvantage with respect to competition that is able to make these investments. So cost and speed of adoption are two of the biggest challenges I see some companies facing in fully harnessing these microtrends.
TimesEV: What is your vision for how these micro-trends will continue to redefine and shape the future of electronics on a global scale?
Dr John Mitchell: I believe we will see an even more ubiquitous adoption of electronics across every major business segment. The digitization of nearly all modern processes is underway and that future is coming at us fast. It is an exciting time to be part of the electronics industry!
