Tech Program Preview Feature Interview by Nolan Johnson I-CONNECT007
Nolan Johnson speaks with IPC’s Matt Kelly and Chris Jorgensen about what can be expected from the IPC APEX EXPO 2021 technical conference, which is centered around smart manufacturing, Factory of the Future, emerging technologies, and driving the electronics manufacturing industry forward.
Nolan Johnson: Gentlemen, thanks for joining
well known to the industry. Not that we’re not interested in them, we’re absolutely interested and they’re very important to our industry, but much of it is quite mature. This year’s conference is building upon that core technology—PCB fabrication, for example, quality, reliability, assembly, and test—but we’re really focusing in on new “Factory of the Future” type of topics.
Johnson: It seems like there is quite an exten-
me to discuss IPC APEX EXPO 2021. I’ve heard that is this is arguably the best technical program ever at APEX EXPO. Why would that be?
sive lineup of papers and presentations that talk to core technologies but others that add some new capabilities for some new conversations as well.
Matt Kelly: One of the main reasons we’re really
Chris Jorgensen: I think we have a great mix
excited about this year’s conference is the fact that we’re doing something that is pushing the envelope and driving the industry forward, and we’re talking about a lot of new subjects. We’re moving beyond our core technologies
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SMT007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2021
of topics, including some things we’ve talked about at past events, but what’s really exciting, especially about the Factory of the Future track, is that the attendees are going to see realworld examples of what’s happening. These
