PRESS RELEASE
NEW CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ITALIAN ELECTRONICS
INDUSTRY AT THE CENTRE OF THE DEBATE AT FOCUS ON PCB 2023
▪ THE STRONG DYNAMISM OF THE PRODUCTIVE SCENARIOS AND A SUSTAINED INCREASE IN THE DEMAND OF PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS DRIVE THE GLOBAL ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY.
▪ THE POINT OF VIEW OF LUCIANO PINI, PRESIDENT OF ANIE COMPONENTI ELETTRONICI, AND OF LUCA GIOVELLI, HEAD OF THE PCB ASSODEL GROUP, ON THE HEALTH OF THE ITALIAN PCB/PCBA SUPPLY CHAIN.
▪ THE POINT OF VIEW OF LUCIANO PINI, PRESIDENT OF ANIE COMPONENTI ELETTRONICI, AND OF LUCA GIOVELLI, HEAD OF THE PCB ASSODEL GROUP, ON THE HEALTH OF THE ITALIAN PCB/PCBA SUPPLY CHAIN.
NOVEMBER 3rd, 2022 Notwithstanding the complex international geopolitical situation, with the rivalry of the USA and China in the production and embargo of high-tech products, and the
intensification of supply chain problems as a consequence of the conflict in Ukraine, the global
market of printed circuit board is all in all quite healthy.
This was stated in the “Global Sentiment of the Electronics Supply Chain” September 2022 report compiled by IPC, the international association that aims to standardize the assembly and production requirements for electronic equipment and assemblies. IPC collects the sentiment of the companies in the global electronic supply chain on a monthly basis, translating the data into a definite snapshot of the state of the industry.
It emerges that 81% of global electronics companies record an increase in material costs, and 74% report an increase in production costs, against a constant reduction in profit margins and availability of components. Moreover, increasingly alarming in Europe is the phenomenon of skill shortage, i.e. the lack of adequately trained professionals: 61% of European electronics companies struggle to find experienced staff, while in the APAC area this problem drops to 24% of respondents, indicating a clear difference between the “Old continent” and the Asia Pacific area.
At the manufacturing level, 30% of European electronics companies surveyed show an improvement in lead time (44% for APAC, 34% for North America), and expect a further improvement in the next six months. It means that the global electronics industry is becoming increasingly resilient, and that the supply chain is responding to the strong demand for printed circuit boards with a more effective organization of production resources.
The issues related to logistics and the production of PCBs, the reduction of the gap between supply and demand, the considerations on the job market in the electronics sector and the protection of companies in the industry, are all significant topics for “Focus on PCB – From Design to Assembly”, the first exhibition dedicated to PCB (Printed Circuit Board) and PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) operators.
On the occasion of the first edition of Focus on PCB, which was held in Vicenza on 18th and 19th May 2022, these topics were investigated and deepened during several collateral conferences and workshops.
And the debate continues, as emerges from the words of the representatives of ANIE Componenti Elettronici and the PCB Assodel Group, the two industry associations that sponsor the fair.
Luciano Pini, President of ANIE Componenti Elettronici, the national reference for the active and passive electronic components industry, belonging to ANIE Federation and Confindustria, underlines how the electronics sector in Italy is going through a phase of particular excitement. “In Italy, the concern about the lack of implants and materials is countered by a push on investments and the relocation of production, which places electronics among the most dynamic and growing sectors in the coming years. The basis for development of the sector are the green challenges of electrification and renewables, supported by massive digitalization “.
Regarding the market prospects, Pini adds: “Although most of PCB production is located in China, in our country there are many dynamic and flexible companies able to offer quality printed circuits and a high level of service. The demand for PCB in Italy continues to grow and forecasts are very optimistic, also because of the thrust of expanding sectors such as automotive, emobility, and all that creates smart products and processes in relation with the constant development of technological implementation “.
The opportunities for debate among industry operators – such as the Focus on PCB event – remain an essential appointment to assess the health of electronics in Italy and to seek shared solutions. “Focus on PCB is a unique exhibition event in Europe, which aims to bring the printed circuit board sector to the fore in industrial supply chains with a high propensity for innovation. In this context, the meeting and dialogue of operators with the market and the possibility of bringing out new technological and business ideas are the most interesting opportunities “, cocludes Pini.
Of the same opinion is Luca Giovelli, Head of the Assodel PCB Group, the working group dedicated to PCB manufacturers of the Association of Electronics Districts in Italy, which depicts a reality full of opportunities for electronics in Italy.
“Electronics is launched towards a highly technological and totally new future, such as the advent of new quantum computers, which will allow the analysis and design of increasingly performing chips. From this point of view, printed circuits are also making use of new materials and technologies to be able to meet the new challenges that the market requires”.
The demand for printed circuit boards continues to be strong, but at the same time, costs are increasing. “The market perspectives are currently still growing”, Giovelli adds. “However, the market is extremely unstable, and the production lines suffer constant fluctuations that force the entire production chain to be highly flexible, often at the expense of costs which are not surprisingly increasing”.
The relocation that has been going on for several years will not be restored locally that easily, Giovelli points out. “It will certainly be possible to foresee a return to local productions of strategic processes to prevent some suppliers from monopolizing the world market. However, it will be difficult to have many products, such as for example also printed circuits, return to local productions, especially with regard to large volumes, considering that the production dynamics are very different and allow the realization of production at costs that are unattainable for the European market”.
Focus on PCB remains a useful tool to convey the culture of printed circuits. “Focus on PCB is an initiative that promotes a new awareness of professionalism and innovation throughout the entire supply chain of the electronics world. One of the most important aspects of this event is also that of increasing the perception of the importance of product quality before making any kind of choice. The success of the first edition of this fair proves how important it is for all operators in the sector to have targeted reference points”.
The next edition of Focus on PCB will be held in Vicenza on May 17th and 18th. . The fair is organized by NürnbergMesse Italia and hosted by IEG – Italian Exhibition Group, with the sponsorship of ANIE Componenti Elettronici and the PCB Assodel Group. For more information and all updates, please visit the website www.focusonpcb.it and the Linkedin page of event.
NÜRNBERGMESSE ITALY
NürnbergMesse Italia has been in the Italian market since 2009, as the Italian branch of the NürnbergMesse group, one of the 15 largest exhibition companies in the world which includes NürnbergMesse GmbH, based in Nuremberg, and its 15 branches and affiliates and which employs over 900 people in eleven locations in Germany, Brazil, China, India, Italy, Greece, Austria, and the United States. The group also has a network of international representatives in more than 100 countries. The NürnbergMesse exhibition portfolio includes around 120 national and international exhibitions and congresses, both in-person and digital, with a focus on five product clusters: Retail & Consumer Goods, Building & Construction, Process Technology, Electronics & Security, Social & Public. In addition to managing the promotion in Italy of the group’s events in Nuremberg and around the world, since 2017 NürnbergMesse Italia is also an organizer of events in Italy.
FEDERAZIONE ANIE E ANIE COMPONENTI ELETTRONICI
ANIE Federation, with over 1,400 associated companies and about 500,000 employees, represents the most strategic and advanced sector among the Italian industrial sectors, with an aggregate turnover of 76 billion euros (of which 22 billion are exports) in 2023. ANIE Federation invest 5% of turnover in Research and Development, representing more than 20% of the entire investment in R&D made by the private sector in Italy.
ANIE Electronic Components is the national reference for suppliers of technologies enabling digital transformation and innovative solutions for industrial, economic, and social development. The Association is the expression of a sector that in Italy records an aggregate turnover of 5.7 billion euros in 2023, 80% of which is generated by direct exports.
ASSODEL PCB GROUP
PCB Group was born in Assodel in 2020 out of the will of some companies in the industry to create an association that could bring the printed circuit back to the center of attention in the Italian industrial electronics market. Today the Group already has over 20 member companies among the main producers and distributors of printed circuits based in Italy.
Press contacts
Vertigo Srl – Press office for Focus on PCB
Tel. 02 70 60 52 54
Stefano Cazzani cazzani@vertigonet.it
Elisa Bellintani bellintani@vertigonet.it
This was stated in the “Global Sentiment of the Electronics Supply Chain” September 2022 report compiled by IPC, the international association that aims to standardize the assembly and production requirements for electronic equipment and assemblies. IPC collects the sentiment of the companies in the global electronic supply chain on a monthly basis, translating the data into a definite snapshot of the state of the industry.
It emerges that 81% of global electronics companies record an increase in material costs, and 74% report an increase in production costs, against a constant reduction in profit margins and availability of components. Moreover, increasingly alarming in Europe is the phenomenon of skill shortage, i.e. the lack of adequately trained professionals: 61% of European electronics companies struggle to find experienced staff, while in the APAC area this problem drops to 24% of respondents, indicating a clear difference between the “Old continent” and the Asia Pacific area.
At the manufacturing level, 30% of European electronics companies surveyed show an improvement in lead time (44% for APAC, 34% for North America), and expect a further improvement in the next six months. It means that the global electronics industry is becoming increasingly resilient, and that the supply chain is responding to the strong demand for printed circuit boards with a more effective organization of production resources.
The issues related to logistics and the production of PCBs, the reduction of the gap between supply and demand, the considerations on the job market in the electronics sector and the protection of companies in the industry, are all significant topics for “Focus on PCB – From Design to Assembly”, the first exhibition dedicated to PCB (Printed Circuit Board) and PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) operators.
On the occasion of the first edition of Focus on PCB, which was held in Vicenza on 18th and 19th May 2022, these topics were investigated and deepened during several collateral conferences and workshops.
And the debate continues, as emerges from the words of the representatives of ANIE Componenti Elettronici and the PCB Assodel Group, the two industry associations that sponsor the fair.
Luciano Pini, President of ANIE Componenti Elettronici, the national reference for the active and passive electronic components industry, belonging to ANIE Federation and Confindustria, underlines how the electronics sector in Italy is going through a phase of particular excitement. “In Italy, the concern about the lack of implants and materials is countered by a push on investments and the relocation of production, which places electronics among the most dynamic and growing sectors in the coming years. The basis for development of the sector are the green challenges of electrification and renewables, supported by massive digitalization “.
Regarding the market prospects, Pini adds: “Although most of PCB production is located in China, in our country there are many dynamic and flexible companies able to offer quality printed circuits and a high level of service. The demand for PCB in Italy continues to grow and forecasts are very optimistic, also because of the thrust of expanding sectors such as automotive, emobility, and all that creates smart products and processes in relation with the constant development of technological implementation “.
The opportunities for debate among industry operators – such as the Focus on PCB event – remain an essential appointment to assess the health of electronics in Italy and to seek shared solutions. “Focus on PCB is a unique exhibition event in Europe, which aims to bring the printed circuit board sector to the fore in industrial supply chains with a high propensity for innovation. In this context, the meeting and dialogue of operators with the market and the possibility of bringing out new technological and business ideas are the most interesting opportunities “, cocludes Pini.
Of the same opinion is Luca Giovelli, Head of the Assodel PCB Group, the working group dedicated to PCB manufacturers of the Association of Electronics Districts in Italy, which depicts a reality full of opportunities for electronics in Italy.
“Electronics is launched towards a highly technological and totally new future, such as the advent of new quantum computers, which will allow the analysis and design of increasingly performing chips. From this point of view, printed circuits are also making use of new materials and technologies to be able to meet the new challenges that the market requires”.
The demand for printed circuit boards continues to be strong, but at the same time, costs are increasing. “The market perspectives are currently still growing”, Giovelli adds. “However, the market is extremely unstable, and the production lines suffer constant fluctuations that force the entire production chain to be highly flexible, often at the expense of costs which are not surprisingly increasing”.
The relocation that has been going on for several years will not be restored locally that easily, Giovelli points out. “It will certainly be possible to foresee a return to local productions of strategic processes to prevent some suppliers from monopolizing the world market. However, it will be difficult to have many products, such as for example also printed circuits, return to local productions, especially with regard to large volumes, considering that the production dynamics are very different and allow the realization of production at costs that are unattainable for the European market”.
Focus on PCB remains a useful tool to convey the culture of printed circuits. “Focus on PCB is an initiative that promotes a new awareness of professionalism and innovation throughout the entire supply chain of the electronics world. One of the most important aspects of this event is also that of increasing the perception of the importance of product quality before making any kind of choice. The success of the first edition of this fair proves how important it is for all operators in the sector to have targeted reference points”.
The next edition of Focus on PCB will be held in Vicenza on May 17th and 18th. . The fair is organized by NürnbergMesse Italia and hosted by IEG – Italian Exhibition Group, with the sponsorship of ANIE Componenti Elettronici and the PCB Assodel Group. For more information and all updates, please visit the website www.focusonpcb.it and the Linkedin page of event.
NÜRNBERGMESSE ITALY
NürnbergMesse Italia has been in the Italian market since 2009, as the Italian branch of the NürnbergMesse group, one of the 15 largest exhibition companies in the world which includes NürnbergMesse GmbH, based in Nuremberg, and its 15 branches and affiliates and which employs over 900 people in eleven locations in Germany, Brazil, China, India, Italy, Greece, Austria, and the United States. The group also has a network of international representatives in more than 100 countries. The NürnbergMesse exhibition portfolio includes around 120 national and international exhibitions and congresses, both in-person and digital, with a focus on five product clusters: Retail & Consumer Goods, Building & Construction, Process Technology, Electronics & Security, Social & Public. In addition to managing the promotion in Italy of the group’s events in Nuremberg and around the world, since 2017 NürnbergMesse Italia is also an organizer of events in Italy.
FEDERAZIONE ANIE E ANIE COMPONENTI ELETTRONICI
ANIE Federation, with over 1,400 associated companies and about 500,000 employees, represents the most strategic and advanced sector among the Italian industrial sectors, with an aggregate turnover of 76 billion euros (of which 22 billion are exports) in 2023. ANIE Federation invest 5% of turnover in Research and Development, representing more than 20% of the entire investment in R&D made by the private sector in Italy.
ANIE Electronic Components is the national reference for suppliers of technologies enabling digital transformation and innovative solutions for industrial, economic, and social development. The Association is the expression of a sector that in Italy records an aggregate turnover of 5.7 billion euros in 2023, 80% of which is generated by direct exports.
ASSODEL PCB GROUP
PCB Group was born in Assodel in 2020 out of the will of some companies in the industry to create an association that could bring the printed circuit back to the center of attention in the Italian industrial electronics market. Today the Group already has over 20 member companies among the main producers and distributors of printed circuits based in Italy.
Press contacts
Vertigo Srl – Press office for Focus on PCB
Tel. 02 70 60 52 54
Stefano Cazzani cazzani@vertigonet.it
Elisa Bellintani bellintani@vertigonet.it
Contacts
info@focusonpcb.it
+39 02 36753260
info@focusonpcb.it
+39 02 36753260
Opening hours Focus on PCB
15th of May – 9.00am – 6.00pm
16th of May – 9.00am – 5:00pm
15th of May – 9.00am – 6.00pm
16th of May – 9.00am – 5:00pm
Location
Vicenza Expo Centre – Pad. 1
Via dell’Oreficeria, 16 – Vicenza, Italy
Vicenza Expo Centre – Pad. 1
Via dell’Oreficeria, 16 – Vicenza, Italy
Organized by
Sponsored by
Hosted by
