February 5, 2026

Industry Intelligence Insights February 2026 Industry Insights signs off as Global Electronics Association moves to Substack. The final issue shows uneven manufacturing: AI-led electronics and capital goods drive growth, PCB/EMS data signal cautious optimism, and regions diverge in 2026. Global Electronics Association

Sponsor Affordable Profiling Excellence Four channels of precision data capture from the most trusted name in thermal profiling. New and improved V-M.O.L.E.™ 2 is the ideal solution for budget-conscious electronics pros. Learn more here. ECD

VIEWPOINT 2026: Przemysław Prolejko, CEO, Assel Electronics Manufacturing Services The business outlook for 2026 is positive. This is supported with a healthy order book on hand, as well as several projects in the introduction phase. As an Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider located in Europe (Poland), we observe that the industrial markets are slowly rebounding, and on top of that we see ... Assel Electronics Manufacturing Services

Flux Technology Development for Solder Paste Compatible with Formic Acid Reflow Ovens for Power Devices This paper introduces a newly developed flux technology compatible with formic acid reduction reflow ovens which offers solutions to the issues associated with conventional power device soldering. Technical Paper

Alphabet resets the bar for AI infrastructure spending Alphabet topped fourth-quarter estimates, but shares slipped as Wall Street fixated on surging AI costs. Google projected $175–$185 billion in 2026 capex, far outpacing peers, even as cloud revenue and AI demand accelerated. CNBC

Sponsor Reduce Lead Time and Improve Supply Chain. If value-add lead times are causing delay in Supply Chain, contact Alltemated. Our quick-turn solutions provide an alternative source for value-add needs. Alltemated Inc.

Gartner Forecasts Worldwide IT Spending to Grow 10.8% in 2026, Totaling $6.15 Trillion Global IT spending will hit $6.15 trillion in 2026, up 10.8%, as AI infrastructure drives investment. Gartner sees server spending jumping 36.9%, data centers topping $650B, GenAI software surging, while device demand cools on higher memory costs. Gartner

Unlocking The Mystery of Aperture Architecture for Fine Line Printing This paper covers issues of printing for challenging area ratio components and their associated aspect ratio will be investigated. Technical Paper

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 McDry Ultra-Low Humidity Storage Cabinets McDry dry cabinet for MSL components and desiccators provide optimal ultra-low humidity and moisture-proof storage for IC packages. Seika

IBM, Synopsys Move Toward 1.4-nm Node with Heat-Modeling Tech IBM is pushing toward 1.4-nm chips after developing DARPA-backed, ML-based thermal modeling with Synopsys, enabling atomic-level heat predictions far faster than existing tools, improving performance, cooling design, and readiness as 2-nm manufacturing ramps up. EE Times

We're Measuring AI Agents Like Humans — and It's Breaking Our Businesses AI agents are becoming the customers, shattering metrics like CAC and retention. Agents don't persist or show loyalty, so acquisition spend builds no moat, pushing companies to rethink strategy and where durable customer value remains today. Entrepreneur

Effect of Encapsulation Materials on Tensile Stress In this paper FEA modeling was performed to observe stress-strain behavior of solder joints during thermal expansion for various potting materials. Technical Paper

Sponsor 5 Keys to Component Lead Tinning Success Re-conditioning of electronic components mitigates gold embrittlement, eliminates tin whiskers enhancing quality and sustainability prior to soldering. BEST Inc.

Hard drives aren't done yet: Western Digital is pushing HDD performance toward SSD territory Western Digital is reinvigorating hard drives with new multi-head and dual-pivot technologies that could deliver up to four times today's I/O bandwidth, SSD-like speeds, and near-100TB capacities, while also developing power-optimized HDDs for efficient AI and cloud data storage. TechSpot

2026 and Beyond: Accelerating Next-Gen Electronics Design, Sourcing, and Integration As electronics markets evolve, Arrow shifts beyond distribution to deliver supply-chain management, engineering, and integration services. With global reach, real-time data, and AI expertise, Arrow cuts complexity, speeds innovation, and scales. EE Times Asia

Trouble With Skewed DPAK Components We are having trouble with surface mount DPAC components skewing during reflow. We checked our profile and tried a diagonal hatch aperture. Board Talk

Sponsor How pH Cleaning Agents Affect Production Performance Establishing a reliable cleaning process requires a good understanding of all influencing factors, including pH, and defining the correct balance to meet final product reliability. KYZEN

Sen. Warren, others urge FTC, DOJ to scrutinize tech AI 'acquihire' deals for antitrust violations Democratic senators urged the FTC and DOJ to scrutinize Nvidia, Meta and Google AI talent deals they call "reverse acqui-hiring," warning the arrangements act like de facto mergers that bypass antitrust reviews, consolidate power, stifle competition and innovation. CNBC

SpaceX Acquires xAI for $250 Billion Ahead of its June IPO, SpaceX agreed to buy Elon Musk's xAI for $250 billion, creating a $1.25 trillion powerhouse. Musk says the deal unlocks space-based AI satellites and data centers to drive lunar, Martian, and interstellar expansion. EE Times

Sponsor Beat Rising Silver Prices with AIM REL61 With silver at historic highs, there’s never been a better time to switch. Reduce material costs significantly while maintaining the reliability your applications demand. AIM Solder

What Does HDMI 2.2 Actually Mean? At CES 2026, the HDMI Forum previewed the Ultra96 cable for HDMI 2.2, doubling bandwidth to 96Gbps, enabling uncompressed 16K video, higher frame rates, lower latency, and expanded support for next-generation AR, VR, and MR devices. BGR

Durable Conductive Inks for Robust Printed Electronics Polymer Thick Film based printed electronics has improved in durability and is now a proven alternative to copper circuitry in many applications. Technical Paper

Small brains, big compute: Scientists want to build GPS chips that work like a honeybee's brain EU researchers at InsectNeuroNano study honeybees to rethink GPS and computing efficiency, aiming to offload navigation and decision-making into seed-sized systems that deliver trillions of operations using microwatts, cutting data center power, cooling, and scalability demands. TechSpot

Did We Just See a Black Hole Explode? Physicists at UMass Amherst Think So—and It Could Explain (Almost) Everything Physicists propose that a neutrino detected in 2023 came from an exploding quasi-extremal primordial black hole, emitting Hawking radiation. Their model explains conflicting observations, offers evidence for primordial black holes and suggests a path to uncovering dark matter. University of Massachusetts Amherst

Sponsor Macurco Doubles Output with Manncorp Scaled fast. Improved speed and quality. Full control of SMT production in under a year—with no prior in-house experience. See how Manncorp helped Macurco make it happen. Manncorp Inc.

True Data Sovereignty Requires Control, Not Dependence on the U.S. Europe faces a digital sovereignty crisis as geopolitical shifts and U.S. tech dominance erode trust and control. Heavy reliance on American cloud giants exposes critical systems to foreign laws, forcing Europe to build—not just regulate—its own hyperscale digital infrastructure. EE Times