The US moved to reinforce domestic semiconductor capacity with a multibillion-dollar investment in Intel, while delays and cancellations under Europe’s Chips Act are casting doubt on the EU’s 2030 production targets.

Researchers presented a machine-learning approach for automated PCB inspection that combines YOLOv5 object detection with an Inception v3 CNN to accurately detect and classify common manufacturing defects.

Samsung is preparing to install CIS production equipment at its Austin fab for iPhone supply.

Researchers demonstrated a visible-light process for printing conductive polymer electrodes directly onto skin, pointing to future electronics designs that could bypass traditional PCB substrates in medical and wearable applications.

Researchers developed an ultrathin silicon-based bending sensor that survives over 100,000 bend cycles, highlighting new integration opportunities for flexible electronics and PCB-adjacent assemblies in robotics and automation systems.

Crystal-based inertial sensors are helping drone designers improve navigation accuracy while lowering system cost, driving new PCB layout and integration requirements for low-noise IMUs used in long-endurance aerospace platforms.

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.

Intel secured a US government investment worth billions for a near-10 percent stake after CEO Lip-Bu Tan reversed early political backlash.

Delays and cancellations tied to Europe’s Chips Act are casting doubt on the EU’s goal of reaching 20 percent of global semiconductor production by value by 2030, exposing gaps in its industrial strategy.

India’s electronics manufacturing output has grown nearly six-fold over the past decade, with exports rising eight times as Make in India policies expanded domestic production capacity and supply-chain depth.

China imposed sanctions on 20 US defense firms over recent Taiwan arms sales, freezing assets and barring Chinese entities from doing business with the companies.

Uzbekistan and Chinese electronics firms began talks on establishing domestic PCB manufacturing.

Alphabet agreed to acquire energy infrastructure firm Intersect for $4.7B, aiming to secure power for AI data centers.

NationGate agreed to acquire Valeo Malaysia, expanding its EMS footprint in PCBA, plastics and electronics assembly.

Thailand’s exports rose 7.1 percent year on year in November, driven by stronger electronics demand including printed circuit boards and AI-related products.

Aimtron is expanding India’s electronics manufacturing value chain by supplying design-led PCBA and box-build systems.

Huawei increased the use of domestically sourced components to nearly 60 percent by value in its flagship smartphones.

Yao Sheng secured a PCBA order from a US drone startup, signaling deeper exposure to higher-value electronics manufacturing.

Unimicron will sublease part of its Taichung Dajia plant to Uniflex Technology, effectively spinning off its flexible PCB operations to support non-China supply chain requirements from overseas customers.

Texmac/Takaya has appointed ARK Mfg Solutions to represent its flying probe test systems in Arizona.

Nexperia Crisis Exposes Hidden Fragility in the PCB Supply Chain
PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY

PCB Defect Detection Using Machine Learning: YOLOv5 and Inception v3 CNN-Based Approach
2025 ICSSES

High-Precision Electronic Component Detection via Multi-Scale Attention and Dynamic Feature Fusiont
Scientific Reports

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.