The Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA) has confirmed the keynote programme for SMTA International 2026, scheduled for 25–29 October at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, USA. The annual conference and exposition remains one of North America's primary technical forums for electronics manufacturing professionals.
The centrepiece of the programme is an 'AI in Manufacturing' Keynote Panel, co-presented by SMTA and The Assembly Show, taking place on Wednesday, 28 October from 09:00 to 10:00 in room 13 on level 1. The session is free and open to all attendees. Confirmed panellists include Roy Devadas, Head of Global IT Strategy & Frameworks at ITW; John Platais, Senior Manager of Data Science, ML Ops & Data Governance at Milwaukee Tool; Girish Gopalakrishnan, North America Senior Manager of Continuous Improvement at Case New Holland; and Jung H. Yoon, Ph.D., Distinguished Engineer and CTO of Supplier Technology & Quality at IBM Corporation.
Beyond the main panel, two track keynotes requiring paid conference registration are scheduled. On Monday, 26 October, Nick Morris, Deputy Director of Technology at NextFlex, will open the Additively Manufactured Electronics (AME) Track with a presentation titled 'Hybrid Electronics: Accelerating Innovation and Adoption.' Morris is expected to examine how hybrid electronics integrates additive and conventional manufacturing processes and outline the steps required to transition the technology from prototype demonstration to production-ready manufacturing — a challenge of direct relevance to contract manufacturers and OEMs evaluating next-generation interconnect and substrate strategies.
On Tuesday, 27 October, Jung H. Yoon will present 'AI Infrastructure Technology – Driving Forces, Challenges & Key Directions' as part of the Manufacturing for Excellence (MFX) Track. The session will address how rapid expansion of AI infrastructure is reshaping requirements for silicon, packaging and manufacturing processes, and explore emerging directions for the electronics supply chain. This is of particular relevance to the advanced and semiconductor packaging segment, where AI-accelerated compute demands are driving significant changes in substrate complexity, thermal management and heterogeneous integration approaches.
The combination of topics reflects broader industry trends visible across European and global electronics manufacturing: the integration of data science and machine learning into production environments, the industrialisation of additive and hybrid electronics, and the downstream manufacturing implications of AI hardware scaling. For European EMS providers and equipment suppliers, developments in AI infrastructure requirements and hybrid electronics adoption in North America typically signal demand shifts that affect component sourcing, assembly process capability and inspection requirements within 12 to 24 months.
Further information on SMTA International 2026 is available from the SMTA via smtai@smta.org.
Quelle: SMTA – https://smta.org/news/734367/SMTAI-Keynote-Speakers-to-Explore-AI-Hybrid-Electronics-and-the-Future-of-Manufacturing.htm
