My Top 7 Takeaways from APEX EXPO 2026

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

I’m back from APEX EXPO 2026 in Anaheim, California, and it was another great year. Even amid significant global volatility, the industry is growing, innovating, and building partnerships. As I reflect on the experience, I want to share my top 7 takeaways and explain why each matters.

1. The Advanced Electronics Packaging Conference Was a Standout

This year’s Advanced Electronics Packaging Conference (AEPC) delivered outstanding, peer-reviewed content and strong participation, reflecting how central advanced electronics packaging has become across the industry. The program featured 25 sessions across seven tracks with an added Monday Opening Session focused on next‑gen compute and two Thursday special sessions on aerospace and defense packaging and the future of EV/autonomous electronics. In total, AEPC drew technical papers presented by 78 authors from 20 countries, including 21 Ph.D. authors. More than 100 companies were represented across keynotes, speakers, panels, committees, the design village, and the tech pavilion.

The throughline this year was the component-to-system packaging connection—how design, materials, fabrication, and test come together to deliver higher-performance systems. That convergence is exactly where the toughest technical and strategic questions now live, and AEPC is a key place where the industry is coming together to work through the challenges. Congratulations to Matt Kelly, Devan Iyer, Chris Jorgensen, Peter Tranitz, and the entire Association Solutions team for an exceptional event.

2. The EMS Leadership Summit Delivered Real Value Through Live Benchmarking

More than 60 EMS companies, including a number from Europe, came together at APEX EXPO for the EMS Leadership Summit. The Summit has become a must for EMS executives looking to engage with peers on the issues shaping the future of the industry. What made this year's summit especially valuable was the addition of instant benchmarking, supported by the Association's Industry Intelligence team. Attendees provided real-time data on supply chain, operations, workforce, and other key issues, and that data was shared back to the room immediately, prompting grounded and productive discussion.

There is no question that this approach elevated the conversation, providing for more actionable discussion. Congratulations to Summit chair Allison Budvarson of Out of the Box Manufacturing, and to Association staff Mark Wolfe and Tracy Riggan, for a great event. Thanks also to the Industry Intelligence team for helping make this Summit stand out.

3. The AI Conversation Has Matured; Industry from Awe to Action

AI was a major focus again this year, but the nature of the conversation felt very different. Last year, many companies were approaching AI with more uncertainty than direction. This year, they were far more focused on understanding how to intelligently integrate AI into their operations, whether in sales, administration, workforce development, or manufacturing. It's not that companies have figured it all out, but the posture has shifted. Instead of standing still, they are finding real motivation to identify where AI makes sense so they can make the right investments.

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