Hardware Podcasts

EMS & The Economist: Industrial Action, Election Inertia, Automation, Trends, and the Global Supply Chain

EMS@C-LEVEL · 17 Oct 2024 · 25m

What this episode covers

IPC chief economist Shawn DuBravac joins host Philip Stoke to analyze the current state of the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry, highlighting softening demand, weak book-to-bill ratios, and the impact of port closures and hurricanes on supply chain resilience. They discuss the strategic timing of longshoremen strikes, the critical need to attract younger talent through automation rather than job protection, and how high interest rates are influencing investment decisions. The conversation also covers the political landscape, specifically the consensus on decoupling from China and the differing approaches of presidential candidates regarding tariffs and domestic manufacturing incentives.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
IPC, Koh Young, Global Electronics Association, Boeing, Fed, SMTA Guadalajara, Zona, Walmart, Target
Also
USMCA, NAFTA

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 08m

    World Trade Futurity (WTF)

    Hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss the potential impact of the 2016 US election on the electronics industry, focusing on proposed tariffs and supply chain complexities. They review recent industry news, including Qualcomm's acquisition of NXP and Lattice Semiconductor's sale, while also covering technical topics like EMI reduction, MicroPython for prototyping, and the Siligo programmable chip. The episode concludes with reflections on the SuperCon conference and the failed Schiaparelli Mars landing.

    Policy, trade & tariffsEmbedded firmware
    8 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 21m

    How Technology is Changing the Manufacturing Game w/ Dr. John Mitchell

    Dr. John Mitchell, President & CEO of IPC (the Global Electronics Industry Association), discusses the transformation of manufacturing from manual labor to high-tech operations. He highlights IPC's initiatives like IPC Edge for scalable workforce training and the Factory of the Future program, which helps manufacturers adopt AI and automation without massive capital expenditure. Mitchell also addresses the current semiconductor supply chain crisis, attributing it to the rapid shift in automotive production during the pandemic, and outlines IPC's engagement with government policy on semiconductors and infrastructure.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringAI & machine learning
    8 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 09m

    SpaceX, Enclosures & Startups - Urging Unemployment Ullagone

    Hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss the hidden costs of outsourcing manufacturing, citing a General Electric article on insourcing and the inefficiencies of distance between design and production. They analyze the Altium leadership crisis, noting founder Nick Martin's ousting and the company's strategic pivot back to core EDA tools. The conversation extends to career advice, covering resume strategies, the value of personal websites, and the realities of startup hiring and funding.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringEDA & CAD tools
    10 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 58m

    Return of the Trade Show Jedi

    Dave Jones of EEVBlog discusses the return to electronics trade shows, highlighting the surge in manufacturing equipment and the importance of automated test jigs for production quality. Paul Gammell covers Ant Micro's open-source Snapdragon 845 baseboard design in KiCad, the critical shortage of engineers in Australia, and Mercedes' new legal liability for its Drive Pilot system. The hosts also touch on AgTech challenges and the potential of Thread protocol for Bluetooth sensors.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringTest & measurement
    6 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 32m

    The Hard Truths About Reshoring American Manufacturing w/ Eddy Azad

    Eddy Azad, CEO of Parsec Automation, discusses the strategic realities of reshoring manufacturing to the United States, arguing that it is a long-term, complex process rather than a simple cost-saving switch. He explains that reshoring makes the most sense for high-value, high-tech products like semiconductors and medical devices where supply chain resilience and innovation are critical, rather than for commoditized goods. Azad highlights that while automation and AI can mitigate higher US labor costs, they require robust data infrastructure and end-to-end integration to be effective. He also addresses the impact of AI on the workforce, noting a shift from manual execution to human-in-the-loop oversight and prompt engineering.

    Policy, trade & tariffsAI & machine learning
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by EMS@C-LEVEL. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.