Hardware Podcasts

Electronica 24: Kitron's Strategic Shifts Amidst Geopolitical and Economic Uncertainties

EMS@C-LEVEL · 21 Nov 2024 · 7m

What this episode covers

Peter Nilsson, CEO of Kitron, discusses the company's strategic shift toward the U.S. market in response to potential tariffs and geopolitical unrest, leveraging their existing 100,000 square foot facility in Costa Rica. He highlights the challenge of U.S. wage inflation versus the cost of tariffs, noting that a 10-15% tariff makes domestic production more viable. Nilsson also addresses inventory buildup in the green technology sector, predicting stability in 2025 driven by defense and medical devices, while emphasizing the need for cost control and AI integration to maintain competitiveness.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Kitron, Rivian, GPV, Zonda, Koh Young, IPC, Global Electronics Association
Also
Trump administration

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Thoroughly Considered · 1h 11m

    124: Tariff Talk

    Myke Hurley joins hosts Tom Gerhardt and Dan Provost of Studio Neat to discuss the impact of tariffs on their business, explaining how they mitigate costs by performing final assembly and value-added machining in the US while sourcing raw metal parts from Asia. The group also covers the discontinuation of the Material Dock due to its complex, multi-supplier supply chain and low sales volume, and reviews past predictions, including a debate on whether DSLR camera sales are recovering. Finally, they discuss Studio Neat's new Pocket Notebook, highlighting its use of Colorplan paper and GeoSmyth's Abstract recycled paper, and touch on the strategic shift toward automated, AI-driven marketing.

    Policy, trade & tariffsManufacturing partners & offshoring
    6 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 07m

    Jersey Jeff Jactitation

    Dave Jones from EEVblog and Chris Gammell discuss recent travels, including Jones's visit to the Thomas Edison National Historical Park and surplus electronics shops in Los Angeles. They analyze the economic realities of manufacturing, specifically challenging the feasibility of bringing production back to the US and the volume pricing myths surrounding the Raspberry Pi. The episode also covers the Ninja Blocks Kickstarter project, TI's new web-based MSP430 compiler, and the continued availability of the 6502 processor.

    Pricing, margins & unit economicsPolicy, trade & tariffs
    8 chapters

  • The Robot Report Podcast · 5m

    Building a U.S.-based supply chain

    Robert Kufner, CEO and President of SDP/SI, explains how the company has evolved over 75 years to serve the automation and robotics industries by investing in advanced manufacturing and listening to customer feedback on lightweight, quiet gearboxes. He highlights SDP/SI's strategic advantage as a U.S.-based manufacturer in Hicksville, New York, which allows them to navigate current tariff uncertainties by leveraging domestic raw materials and four U.S.-based motor winding sources. Kufner also addresses ongoing supply chain challenges, specifically the reliance on Canadian aluminum and steel, and the critical shortage of domestic volume for manufacturing motor magnets.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringSourcing & supply chain
    4 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 15m

    Beware of the Overachievers

    Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss new hardware projects, including Jones's low-power lab timer using a transflective LCD and font chip, and Gammell's experience with JLC PCB's automated assembly workflow. They analyze the economic impact of tariffs on sourcing components from China versus domestic distributors, highlighting the cost advantages of JLC despite the 54% tax. The conversation also covers Gammell's stalled solar installation due to local building codes and Jones's recurring EV charging solenoid failure.

    PCB design & layoutSourcing & supply chain
    7 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 10m

    A 2013 Recap - Year-end Yarn Yakking

    Hosts Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics and Dave Jones of EEVblog discuss a wide range of hardware engineering topics, including the complexities of part numbering, version control in production, and the challenges of sourcing obsolete components. Jones details his experience with a Kickstarter campaign for his Microcurrent device, highlighting the impact of currency exchange rates on unit economics and the decision to manufacture locally in Australia. The conversation also covers the technical limitations of a new 10 GHz USB sampling oscilloscope, the decline of the hobbyist kit market due to cheap contract manufacturing, and the value of lab notebooks for patent defense.

    Sourcing & supply chainPricing, margins & unit economics
    7 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.