I spent a week in Paris in September at the IPC Builds meetings, and it gave me the chance to see, take part in, and document a broad range of technical and training-related discussions affecting the electronics manufacturing industry. I go to these meetings because what gets decided in those rooms ends up in the classes we teach at EPTAC. In addition to attending committee meetings, I participated in keeping minutes for several sessions because some meeting leaders were unable to attend due to travel restrictions.

The November 2026 issue of SMT007 Magazine, “The New Age of Sourcing,” examines how EMS companies are gaining better visibility and control over purchasing, inventory, and supply chain costs. After years of disruption, sourcing teams are finding new ways to move beyond spreadsheets and put more complete, consistent information to work.

The mood at SMTA International was different this year, but in a good way. The conference and expo have long been a bastion of consistency for the EMS industry, delivering a predictably solid event with a “boots on the ground” perspective and a program tailored to the professional individual as much as to the corporate participant. The attendee sentiment on the show floor felt noticeably different this year, and spoke volumes about the frame of mind in the industry. Show leaders said the conference drew approximately 1500 attendees and 114 exhibitors for a three-session expo and a weeklong slate of papers and presentations.

As parents and grandparents, we often wonder what we can give the next generation that will matter long after the gifts have been opened and the celebrations have passed. When a child leaves for college, this occasion naturally invites reflection. The older I become, the more I realize that the most meaningful things we can pass on are not possessions, accomplishments, or even answers. I want to offer encouragement, perhaps a few words of wisdom, and some lessons that life has taught me. These are perspectives, ways of thinking, choices to consider, and principles to carry through an ever-changing world.