February 11, 2026

The Real Infrastructure Crisis: Skills That Depreciate Faster Than Hardware Tech giants have poured $360B into AI, fueling automation and rapid adoption, yet investment in human skills lags. As expertise ages faster than hardware, companies must treat workforce upskilling as a core strategy to stay competitive in the AI-driven economy. Global Electronics Association

Sponsor PCB Rework Evolves, With X-ray a Constant Support Mini Micro Stencil, a contract manufacturer focused on PCB rework, has relied on real-time X-ray inspection to verify its precision rework as the industry has evolved over 30 years. Glenbrook Technologies

VIEWPOINT 2026: Don Nelson, Senior Vice President of Operations, PRIDE Industries As reshoring continues to gain momentum, our contract manufacturing team is getting busier. Fortunately, after more than two decades helping electronics manufacturers bring their operations back to the U.S., we've learned how to make the transition as smooth as possible. So, if your company is considering moving some ... PRIDE Industries

Maintenance: The Basics of Cleaning Series Part 4 This article is the fourth and final part of the series titled "The Basics of Cleaning". In this final chapter, some of the common mistakes in maintenance cleaning applications found in electronic assembly operations will be covered and a summary of the entire series. Technical Paper

Microsoft's plans for 15 more data centers win approval at former Wisconsin Foxconn site Mount Pleasant officials approved Microsoft's plan to build 15 new data centers near its expanding Wisconsin campus, enabling the company to monetize AI-related demand. The $13 billion project, spanning 9 million square feet, advances despite local opposition &d regional power constraints. CNBC

Sponsor Value-Add Services Beyond Manufacturing and Distribution If manufacturer & distributor value-add lead-times are causing delay in factories, visit Alltemated Inc. Booth 1729 at APEX. We are 30+ years of service. Alltemated Inc.

The psychology of self-driving cars: Why the technology doesn't suit human brains Professor Ronald McLeod warns self-driving tech strains drivers as vigilant supervisors rather than active operators. He urges better training and clearer system feedback, cautioning that flawed designs could trigger accidents in cars and broader automated industries. TechXplore

Risks Using Flux Only for Soldering BGAs What are the risks using flux only versus solder paste for placing BGAs in a hybrid lead-free environment? Why would you only use flux, why not solder paste? Board Talk

Technical Papers ■ Engineering ESD-Safe PCB Assembly for High-Reliability IoT and Industrial Electronics ■ The Analysis of Variance: Drawing Conclusions from Data That Are Correct, Unambiguous, and Defensible ■ PCB Rework Evolves, With X-ray a Constant Support ■ How pH Cleaning Agents Affect Production Performance ■ A Universal AI-Powered Segmentation Model for PCBA & Semiconductor ■ RAIG Minimizes Corrosion, Allows Higher Gold on ENEPIG ■ High Reliability Lead-Free Solder Paste with Rosin and Anti-Crack Resin ■ Understanding Solder Dross: Causes and Control Strategies ■ Optimizing BGA Rework: Challenges, Techniques and Quality Control ■ Maintenance: The Basics of Cleaning Series Part 4 MORE TECHNICAL PAPERS

Sponsor Tech Paper - The Essential Guide for High-Reliability BGA Component Re-balling This paper outlines best practices and challenges in reballing Ball Grid Array (BGA) components. Download this free tech paper. Circuit Technology Center

US auto tariff cuts to have minimal impact Taiwan's economy minister said cutting tariffs on US vehicles to zero would trim local auto production by only about 1 percent, as imports target high-end segments. The government plans NT$3 billion in R&D support and overseas expansion incentives to bolster competitiveness. Taipei Times

Ground broken on chip R&D base Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs broke ground on a NT$3.772 billion advanced semiconductor R&D base in Hsinchu to support pilot production and verification services. The facility aims to cut development time, boost SME innovation and strengthen Taiwan's AI and chip ecosystem. Taipei Times

Investigation into Lead-Free Low Silver Solder Wire for Electronics This paper show results using a lead-free solder rework wire alloy in terms of wetting, reduced solder iron tip erosion, reduced IMC growth and reliability. Technical Paper

Sponsor Corrosion, UV Protection for Power Transmission Moisture, corrosive gas, oxidation & UV blocking prop-erties. FLUOROSEAL® confor-mal coating for electrical contacts & ceramic insulator protection. AI Technology, Inc.

Elon Musk's xAI loses co-founder Tony Wu in latest senior departure Elon Musk's xAI lost another founding member as Tony Wu resigned, joining several co-founders who have recently departed. His exit comes amid regulatory probes and backlash over deepfake abuses, weeks after SpaceX acquired xAI in a record-setting $250 billion deal. CNBC

New Study Changes Everything We Knew About Jupiter NASA's Juno mission finds Jupiter smaller, flatter, and more oblate than thought, with a cooler, metal-rich, uneven atmosphere. The new data resolves past contradictions and reshapes models of the gas giant's structure and formation. BGR

Solder Composition, Surface Finish and Solder Joint Volume on Drop Shock Reliability Five Pb-free solder alloys on two PCB surface finishes were evaluated for drop shock reliability with two different solder joint volumes (LGA and BGA). Technical Paper

Sponsor Dedicated Tool for Process Development Advanced plating capability at Uyemura Tech Center: Process Development, UBM, pilot production. ENIG, ENEPIG, EPIG/EPAG, RAIG immersion gold; all substrates. On-site analysis. Uyemura

How and When the Memory Chip Shortage Will End Exploding AI data-center demand for high-bandwidth memory has sent DRAM prices soaring 80–90%, siphoning supply from PCs and consumer devices. After years of underinvestment and pandemic swings, analysts warn tight supply and elevated prices may persist for years. IEEE Spectrum

The Next Samsung Galaxy Watch Might Use This Groundbreaking New Tech Samsung Electro-Mechanics is developing an oxide-based solid-state battery for smartwatches that promises higher energy density, improved safety, and flexible shapes. The technology could enable longer battery life or slimmer next-generation Samsung Galaxy watches. BGR

Sponsor Need Improved Solder Joint Visibility? Solder Peel-A-Way° Removable Terminal Carriers in place and peel the carrier away for complete solder joint visibility on both sides of the PCB. Watch a video to see it in action. Advanced Interconnections Corp.

Foxconn withdraws from acquisition of Sharp's LCD factory in Japan Sharp said Foxconn withdrew from plans to buy its Kameyama LCD plant, citing weak panel prices. Sharp will halt production, cut 1,410 jobs and book over ¥14 billion in restructuring losses, while Foxconn considers using the site for AI servers. Nikkei Asia

Optimization of Stencil Apertures to Compensate for Scooping This study investigates the scooping effect during solder paste printing as a function of aperture width, aperture length and squeegee pressure. Technical Paper

Scientists Are Trying To Build Empathy Into Robots - Here's How Humanoid robots are evolving as researchers rethink artificial empathy. Philippine scientist Angelica Lim teaches robots to read facial cues and avoid harmful over-empathy, while industry interest grows, highlighted by Apple’s acquisition of an AI startup focused on expression analysis. BGR

Why Intelligent Supply Chains Will Define India’s Electronics Manufacturing? India's $60B electronics sector grows rapidly, powered by complex supply chains. But geopolitical shocks, component shortages, siloed EMS operations, and talent gaps reveal brittle systems where small disruptions can halt high-value production. Electronics For You

Sponsor Optimizing BGA Rework: Challenges, Techniques and Quality Control The complexity of BGA packages introduces challenges during rework requiring innovative methods and inspection practices to ensure performance and reliability. Read more. BEST Inc.

AI is dominating the world’s memory chips. That could make phones more expensive AI's fast-growing infrastructure is fueling a global memory chip shortage as makers favor high-bandwidth memory for data centers over consumer DRAM and NAND. Soaring prices boost major chipmakers but threaten low-cost smartphones and squeeze electronics profits. Rest of World