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EMS@C-LEVEL

Interviews with executives of electronics manufacturing services companies on their businesses, their customers and the state of the contract electronics manufacturing industry.

335 episodes · 85 hours · since 2020

Visit EMS@C-LEVEL

EMS@C-LEVEL is filed under manufacturing, supply chain & operations, electronics and interviews. Its most recent episode published on , so it is still actively publishing.

Latest episodes

The 10 newest episodes of EMS@C-LEVEL, each with a summary and chapters.

  • · 3m

    How Costa Rica Attracts High-Tech Investment Through Procomer, with CEO Laura López

    Laura López, CEO of PROCOMER, discusses Costa Rica's strategy to attract high-tech investment, highlighting the inauguration of a second Zollner facility as evidence of a growing ecosystem. She explains how PROCOMER promotes the country by fostering clusters of suppliers, logistics partners, and OEM customers to enhance supply chain efficiency. A key focus is talent development, where PROCOMER co-finances training programs with universities and companies to ensure the workforce has the specific skills needed for medical devices, electronics, and semiconductors. This approach has driven a fourfold increase in exports and sophistication over the last decade.

    Policy, trade & tariffsHiring & workforce
    5 chapters

  • · 6m

    Costa Rica Manufacturing Momentum: with Stephan Weiss, CEO at Zollner Electronics Inc.

    Stephan Weiss, CEO for the Americas at Zollner Electronics, discusses the company's expansion in Costa Rica, highlighting the transition from early builds to high-volume contract manufacturing. He explains how overcoming initial customer skepticism about nearshoring relies on demonstrating 5S discipline, lean manufacturing, and a critical mass of engineering talent capable of complex mechatronics assemblies. The Costa Rica facility is positioned as the engineering center of excellence for the Americas, driving automation, robotics, and AI initiatives while maintaining a unique 'family culture' that ensures long-term employee retention.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringScaling production
    5 chapters

  • · 7m

    Standardized Systems Make Global Manufacturing Agility Possible: with Zollner's Martin Eisenhart

    Martin Eisenhart, Senior Executive Vice President of Electronics at Zollner, explains how the company maintains global manufacturing agility through standardized systems, including a single ERP, MES, and traceability platform. He details how this standardization enables rapid transfer of production between sites, such as moving European customer demand to the US to mitigate tariffs, while maintaining quality in complex sectors like medical, industrial, and aerospace. Eisenhart also discusses Zollner's organizational shift from a global structure to regional hubs (Americas, Europe, Asia) and the pilot of AI agents in supply chain and administrative tasks at their Costa Rica facility.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringPolicy, trade & tariffs
    6 chapters

  • · 8m

    How Zollner Scaled From Startup To 400 Jobs In Cartago with General Manager Octavio Matus

    Octavio Matus, General Manager of Zollner Costa Rica, explains how the site scaled from a single SMT line to a 400-employee hub with double capacity, driven by local supplier development and a stable, loyal engineering team. He details the transition to becoming the Americas engineering hub, leveraging DFX (Design for Manufacturing/Test), automation, and Lean Six Sigma to serve high-reliability sectors like aerospace and medical. Matus highlights the critical role of government and academic partnerships in Costa Rica, which enabled the company to become the number one EMS provider in the region by aligning local education with industry needs.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringScaling production
    5 chapters

  • · 8m

    How Geopolitics Is Reshaping Electronics Manufacturing: Zollner's Markus Aschenbrenner in Costa Rica

    Markus Aschenbrenner, Member of the Executive Board at Zollner, explains how geopolitical pressures and IP protection are driving electronics manufacturing toward regionalization rather than just low-cost labor. He details Zollner's global expansion strategy, including acquisitions in the US, sites in Southeast Asia, and exploring India, while highlighting the long-term success of their early bet on Costa Rica over Mexico. Aschenbrenner emphasizes that reliability, supplier qualification, and a stable, educated workforce are now the primary competitive edges for high-tech EMS providers.

    Sourcing & supply chainManufacturing partners & offshoring
    5 chapters

  • · 48m

    EMS India Pod with InCap: India Is Not A Low-Cost Manufacturing Bet, It's So Much More

    Murthy Munipalli, Managing Director of InCap India, and Otto Pukk, Global President and CEO of InCap, discuss the evolution of InCap India from a small acquired unit into a major electronics manufacturing services (EMS) hub with 2,000+ employees and three factories near Bangalore. They argue that India is no longer a low-cost labor destination but a strategic base for advanced manufacturing, driven by engineering depth, IP protection, and democratic stability. The conversation covers InCap's recent investments in AI-driven SMT lines and flying probe testers to serve massive American conglomerates, as well as the broader growth of the Indian EMS market, which is projected to reach $150 billion by 2030.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringScaling production
    8 chapters

  • · 31m

    The EMS India Pod: How India Is Building A World Class Electronics Supply Chain, Gaurab Majumdar, VP, Global Electronics Association

    Gaurab Majumdar, Vice President at the Global Electronics Association, explains how India is transitioning from hype to tangible execution in electronics manufacturing, driven by the PLI scheme and a new component manufacturing scheme. He details the geographic distribution of manufacturing hubs, from Bangalore’s defense roots to Gujarat’s semiconductor ambitions, and highlights the rapid growth in IPC certifications and workforce training initiatives. Majumdar emphasizes the importance of bridging the gap between academia and shop-floor skills, while navigating complex government relations and raw material supply chain dependencies to support global OEMs and SMEs alike.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringHiring & workforce
    8 chapters

  • · 18m

    Trade, Tariffs and Trust: The Case for a Global Electronics Policy Council, with Chris Mitchell

    Chris Mitchell, Vice President for Global Government Relations at the Global Electronics Association, explains the creation of the Global Electronics Policy Council (GEPC) as a new mechanism for global electronics companies to engage with governments on trade and industrial policy. He details the council's founding members, including EMS, PCB, and IC substrate companies, and its goal to provide a trusted, two-way channel for industry insights and government strategy. Mitchell outlines the GEPC's 12-month success metrics, focusing on expanding global representation, establishing credibility with policymakers, and producing actionable industry intelligence on critical issues like tariffs and USMCA.

    Policy, trade & tariffsLeadership, teams & culture
    6 chapters

  • · 16m

    How A Cornwall EMS Company Scales With Defense And Aerospace Demand, with Jon Hurrell, Sellectronics

    Jon Hurrell, Managing Director at Sellectronics, explains how the UK-based EMS provider scaled from a garage startup to a 52-employee operation handling complex SMT assembly for defense and aerospace clients. He details the supply chain disruptions caused by AI data center demand, which has stretched PCB lead times and created shortages for high-end BGAs and FPGAs. Hurrell describes the strategic shift from chasing prime suppliers to targeting tier one and two system builders and 'neo primes' in the drone sector, while highlighting the critical challenge of home-growing talent to fill the UK's electronics manufacturing skills gap.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringSourcing & supply chain
    8 chapters

  • · 27m

    The PCB Supply Chain Squeeze - A C-Level Special with Confidee's Raymond Goh and TLT's Vytautas Ilgunas

    Raymond Goh of Confidee and Vytautas Ilgunas of TLT PCB discuss the severe PCB supply chain squeeze driven by AI server demand and upstream material shortages. They explain how capacity loss in European laminate manufacturing, combined with resin shortages from Middle East conflicts, has created lead times of up to nine months for advanced materials. The guests highlight that availability now trumps price, forcing customers to approve alternate laminates and reserve capacity years in advance to avoid production halts. They argue that rebuilding a complete European electronic manufacturing ecosystem, from sand to assembly, requires long-term policy support rather than short-term urgency.

    Sourcing & supply chainPolicy, trade & tariffs
    8 chapters

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