AI-driven data center expansion is pushing up gold, copper and DRAM prices, squeezing PCB manufacturers in South Korea while raising the risk of consumer electronics price hikes of up to 20 percent globally.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is investing $20 million to establish two centers to advance AI-based technology.

UK-based startup Space Forge has successfully operated a 1,000°C furnace in orbit, a key step toward validating in-space semiconductor manufacturing that the company says could produce chips thousands of times purer than those made on Earth.

A new civil engineering study finds that recycled nonmetallic PCB waste can partially replace SBS in asphalt, improving performance while cutting material costs by more than $12,000 per kilometer on typical highways.

An analysis models the full life-cycle environmental footprint of wearable health-care electronics and outlines design, material and recycling strategies to cut emissions and waste as adoption scales.

New research demonstrates that recyclable or biodegradable plastics offer only marginal benefits, whereas substituting critical-metal conductors and optimizing circuit architectures can significantly reduce impacts without compromising performance.

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 Jan. 9.

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.

South Korea’s PCB industry is facing mounting cost pressure as AI-driven demand pushes gold and copper prices sharply higher.

Analysts warn that AI-driven data center demand is squeezing memory supply, pushing DRAM prices sharply higher and risking consumer electronics price increases of up to 20 percent this year.

The US granted an annual export license allowing US chipmaking tools to supply a China-based mature-node fab.

India’s electronics sector is entering a “second wave” driven by steady domestic demand, with EMS providers and OEMs expanding beyond assembly into design, testing and system-level manufacturing.

SpaceX plans to double Starlink kit output at its Bastrop, Texas, facility by 2026, expanding vertically integrated manufacturing.

China’s EV sector is heading toward a major shakeout in 2026, with as many as 50 unprofitable manufacturers expected to downsize or shut down as domestic vehicle demand softens.

Meiko will invest about $255M in a Vietnam plant to produce circuit boards for Samsung’s smartphones.

Pakistan said the Mobile and Electronic Device Manufacturing Policy for the period 2026-33 has been finalized and is set to be presented to the prime minister.

Magic Leap signed an agreement with Pegatron to collaborate on the production of augmented reality (AR) glasses components.

Altium appointed Don Cantow general manager.

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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.