China has quietly developed and begun testing a prototype EUV lithography system in Shenzhen, signaling progress toward domestic AI chip production amid Western export controls. Ukraine’s fast-growing defense technology sector is struggling to scale due to a severe shortage of PCB, RF and hardware design engineers.

China has developed and is testing a prototype extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine in Shenzhen, a step toward domestic AI chip production.

Ukraine’s defense technology sector is facing a critical engineer shortage, with demand for PCB, RF and hardware design specialists.

In PCB assembly, Industry 4.0 adoption in 2025 is shifting from buzzwords toward real-time, data-driven production, as manufacturers integrate connected equipment and monitoring systems to improve yield, reliability and supply chain resilience.

Taiwan is prioritizing four research areas – advanced process technology, heterogeneous integration, materials innovation and semiconductor talent development – to sustain its global leadership in chip manufacturing.

Texas universities are accelerating US semiconductor innovation through expanded research programs, CHIPS Act funding, and industry partnerships.

Numerical Innovations launches PCB preflight design verification platform.

Vishay introduces S2F and S3F thin film chip fuses.

PCEA reports that PCB East 2026 exhibition space is more than 70% booked and on track to sell out, with the event moving to the DCU Center in Worcester for its April 28–May 1 conference and April 29 exhibition.

Entries for Circuits Assembly's 2026 NPI Awards, recognizing innovations in electronics assembly equipment, material and software, are due Dec. 19.

Hirose releases 1.0mm series coaxial connector.

PCB West 2026 booth sales are now open to all exhibitors, with more than 60 percent of the floor already reserved following early access for returning companies.

Looking for networking opportunities? Join the PCEA Discord server, bringing together engineers and designers from around the world on a private channel for discussing technical questions and career opportunities.

Taiwan’s PCB output is projected to reach $28.76B in 2025, up 11.1 percent, driven by AI servers and high-end boards.

Global chipmaking equipment sales will rise 9 percent to $126B in 2026, driven by AI-related capacity expansions in logic and memory.

Vietnam’s trade is set to hit a record of about $920B in 2025 as US tariffs accelerate a shift toward electronics exports

Jabil issued an upbeat outlook for fiscal 2026, citing strong AI-driven data center demand.

Nvidia is projected to remain a market heavyweight over the next five years as AI-driven capital spending accelerates.

Singapore’s non-oil domestic exports rose 11.6 percent in November, led by electronics.

AIM Solder appointed RMG Vietnam authorized distributor in Southeast Asia.

Heller Industries has joined The SMT Future Experience as a technology partner.

Critical Manufacturing partnered with Canonical to expand cloud-native MES deployment options across cloud, hybrid and on-premises manufacturing environments.

Avary Holding will invest $609.5M to expand high-end PCB production at its Thailand plant.

Beyond the Gerbers: How Unstructured Data Drives PCB Cost and Lead Time
PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY

Graph Neural Networks for Automatic Addition of Optimizing Components in Printed Circuit Board Schematics
ECML PKDD 2025/Lecture Notes in Computer Science

Circular Innovation: How to Build Reverse Electronics Supply Chains – the Case of CIRC-UITS Project
IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology

EVENTS

PCB Update is a digital newsletter for PCB design, fabrication and assembly professionals, brought to you by Printed Circuit Engineering Association™. E-mail industry press releases or links to the editors of CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY or PCD&F: pr@pcea.net.