manufacturing

Explore North America’s Largest Annual Medtech Event

December 17, 2018January 8, 2018 by Jennifer Marsh

What are you doing February 6-8, 2018? How about coming by to visit with people from Creation Technologies manufacturing and design teams at Booth 546 at Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) West ?

It’s going to be quite an event this year, and we’re really looking forward to reconnecting with industry friends as well as meeting new people. MD&M West is always a great place to solve existing challenges and be inspired by everything new in the MedTech industry.

At MD&M West you’ll find the largest showcase of MedTech suppliers in the country, plus a full spectrum of solutions across the advanced design and manufacturing supply chain. Whether you’re interested in product design, new materials, intelligent sensors, testing solutions, components, packaging, or anything else needed to bring your concept to market, you can source from more than 2,000 cutting-edge suppliers in a time-saving format. Free presentations, interactive events, and fun activities throughout the expo make this a can’t-miss event.

Featuring its biggest program yet, the MD&M West conference will deliver four tracks of expert-led MedTech education you won’t find anywhere else — plus additional smart manufacturing and 3D printing programs — all with unlimited track hopping. This year MD&M offers a full day of conferences focused on Medical Device Security. This rigorous conference program will address security and privacy challenges for connected healthcare devices.

This is your chance to get up to speed with the strategies and techniques that turn concepts into competitive products. Curated with the help of an expert advisory team, this unmatched program is made by the industry for the industry and packed with information crucial to every stage in the development process.

Learn about Creation Technologies’ flexible model, integrated solutions and dedicated Customer-Focused Teams and how we offer a complete customized solution that delivers what our customers need…their way. Creation’s experience and robust systems help OEMs avoid costly surprises, get to market faster and scalability to achieve your business goals.

We would love to meet you and learn more about how we can help you meet your future goals. Drop by Booth #546 and learn how we do it.

You can use our Promo Code: Special when registering and receive a free Expo Pass or 20% off Conference Pricing

Hope to see you there!

Creation Ships First We Share Solar Units

October 19, 2017 by Jennifer Marsh

Creation team members first heard about We Share Solar when Diana Ferrari, Director of Central Engineering at Creation Technologies learned about a suitcase building event at St Agnes of Assisi, where her daughter Julia attends school. Diana couldn’t stop thinking about how to help this program as part of Creation’s Making a Difference initiative and one phone call to We Share Solar Co-Director and Co-Founder Gigi Goldman and they both realized that it was a perfect match.

The VAVE engineers at the Creation Milwaukee Business Unit connected with Hal Aronson, Co-founder and Director of We Share Solar, and discussed different avenues for creating a lower cost educational kit, the WSS601. Our commodity managers and Vice President of Commodity Management, Steve McEuen sourced and quoted the material and was able to create the kit at a price below We Share Solar’s target.

Once we agreed to move forward and quote the project for manufacturing it was turned over to Robert Flores, Business Development Director for Creation Express Services out of San Jose, California. Robert met with Hal Aronson to discuss their cost expectations and timelines. Robert also worked very closely with Creation team members Chuck Herman, Customer Focused Team Leader and Juanita Wright, Procurement Specialist to make sure the project went smoothly. “What really helped to get the project quoted and into production was communication,” said Robert Flores. “I was in constant communication with Hal, and then Chuck, Juanita, and I were meeting on a daily basis to discuss any changes to ensure the project kept moving forward to meet the aggressive deadlines, and we made sure everyone involved was kept up-to-date.“ Chuck and Juanita both agreed communication was the key to success. Hal had given Creation some very aggressive timelines for delivery which could have been challenging due to some long lead time parts. Juanita was able to find substitutions for those parts with shorter lead times and while we had already exercised a VAVE to drive out cost, Juanita was able to find even more cost savings and the project actually came in under budget.

Wendy Cross, Program Manager with We Share Solar, which is the specific group focused on these cases, was very impressed with the team in San Jose. “Once everything was approved we were in a time crunch to ship with the start of the school year. Chuck and the team in San Jose were able to ship 30 kits a day. We exceeded the estimated schedule and shipped out well over 200 in the first week,” said Wendy.

We Care Solar facilitates the international deployment piece. The model is that each school gets 6-8 suitcases, they keep 6 and deploy 2. Each year participating schools will fundraise to try and buy more. The teachers are very excited to have humanitarian project based learning as well as an opportunity to learn about wiring and circuitry. Currently most of the cases are deployed to Kenya and Uganda so students can have lighting giving them more access to resources. We Share Solar works with partners in Kenya that do the installation work, liaison in terms of choosing schools and in addition can help with maintenance.

And there is more!!! October 24-25 there will be a Creation We Share Solar training event in Creation’s San Jose Business Unit. Creation representatives from various business units and Creation Design Services will be on hand to learn how to lead suitcase building workshops. They will eventually host workshops with children in their home cities. Look for future updates on these events!

Learn more at: https://www.wesharesolar.org/

Crazy Fun Facts about the Electronics Manufacturing Industry

July 20, 2017May 31, 2017 by Jennifer Marsh

Robots vs. Cobots: Electronics Manufacturing Trends in 2017

January 4, 2018February 10, 2017 by Jennifer Marsh

Now that the hype around the new year (Chinese New Year included) has settled and resolutions have been broken, people are pretty much back to their regular routines.

While gym traffic may be neutralized, the year is still early and there are exciting things on the horizon.

For us in the electronics industry, the new year means more innovation and finding ways to make manufacturing smarter, faster and more cost efficient. With technology changing daily and manufacturing processes evolving, OEMs and EMS providers constantly have to adapt. But trends are not always limited to technology, it could also be the improvement of processes.

Here are 5 electronics manufacturing trends to look out for in 2017.

1. Riding the IoT Wave

It’s impossible to talk about trends and electronics without mentioning the Internet of Things (IoT). Smart electronic devices being connected to the Internet is nothing new. But the presence of these connected devices will likely soar, as IoT spending is expected to jump from $480 billion in 2016 to $1.7 trillion by 2020. In the EMS industry, this means machines are able to collect more data, allowing them to be more responsive and make better real-time automated decisions. From a supply chain standpoint, the IoT will continue to predict customer demand and always have the appropriate stock of parts and supplies.

2. 3D is Not Just for the Movies

The effort towards faster turnaround times and manufacturing efficiency is being enhanced by 3D printing technology. In 2017, OEMS will likely use 3D more – and use it in a big way. Some industry experts predict that more 3D printing and additive manufacturing processes will be used to make large-scale pieces and final production parts.

3. OEMs in the Market for the Aftermarket

According to a Harvard Business Review study, more than $1 trillion is spent yearly on assets that are already owned. For decades, the sale of aftermarket parts have been controlled by third party resellers and other suppliers. With the margins and demand high, more OEMs are looking to capture a larger slice of that market by investing in inventory and technology that will keep products operating at a high-level for a long period of time.

4. Cobots Take Over

In the ‘80s movie “Back to the Future”, people envisioned the 21^st century to be filled with flying cars and robots. While we are not walking side-by-side with robots on the street yet, they are becoming more visible in manufacturing facilities across the globe. But robots are not taking over jobs, they are working side-by-side with manufacturing employees – hence the term “cobots”. The cobots are designed to assist the human worker in completing tasks in an efficient manner. Cobots are expected to increase in 2017 because they are cost-effective, collaborative, productive, and easily adaptable.

5. All Eyes on Risk

Well this one isn’t as exciting as cobots, but something you might see more of in 2017.

No matter the industry, re-evaluating business objectives is always top of mind for companies when transitioning into a new year. In the electronics manufacturing industry, both OEMs and contract manufacturers will put a higher priority on risk management. Manufacturers will focus on supply chain stability and business continuity planning to lessen risk derived from unforeseen market conditions.

So there you have it. Just a few trends to keep in mind as you continue to make strides in 2017. You might want to take your cobot with you though.

Beyond Design and NPI: Lifecycle Visibility Yields Cost-Savings for Medical Device OEMs

March 30, 2016March 30, 2016 by Sean Priddy

In the medical device industry, there can sometimes be a disconnect in both the priorities and collaborative communication between design engineering and manufacturing operations teams.

This disconnect can be significant to a medical device OEM’s bottom line, especially when time to market is delayed and unnecessary supply chain costs accumulate quickly.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work in both the product design and electronics manufacturing world. I recently had the chance to speak with Editor in Chief of PlasticsToday, Norbert Sparrow, about medical device design strategies that I’ve seen make things much easier for development and commercialization teams, including:

Front-loading design work through ‘hobbyist’ platforms
Having a structured process in place when working with regulated industries
Gaining a thorough understanding of the manufacturing process including supply chain

I’ll be talking more about this at the BIOMEDevice exhibition and conference in Boston on April 14th.

I’d love to hear your ideas to make the commercialization process easier for all involved, and hope to see you there!

Read the full PlasticsToday Article

Speed and the Bottom Line: Rapid Prototyping is a Fiscal Game Changer

January 4, 2018November 10, 2015 by Jennifer Marsh

We have all heard the buzz around 3D printing as a tool for prototyping and low-volume manufacturing. As 3D printing technology progresses and becomes more accessible, demand is expected to jump from $1.3 billion in 2012 to $5.2 billion in 2020.

Being new to Creation Technologies – and the electronics manufacturing industry – I assumed that when our OEM customers mentioned “rapid prototyping”, they meant 3D printing. This isn’t the case.

In our industry, Rapid Prototyping refers to an accelerated product development model, and most of the time it’s done without a 3D printer.

So What is Rapid Prototyping?

Rapid Prototyping is designed to get new products out to market in the quickest and most efficient manner. Companies that offer Rapid Prototyping services, find ways to significantly condense the new product development cycle, through either technology or in-house expertise.

OEMs in the electronics manufacturing industry are typically looking for experienced companies that can assist them with product documentation, complete test strategies, supply chain demand, and DFX services.

When done right, rapid prototyping can increase an OEM’s top-line revenue and extend their product lifecycles by ensuring that their product features at launch are actually the features their customers need.

Get to Market Faster

“If you are not first you are last.”

This is the reality when it comes to new product introduction. With ramped up competition and technology advancing daily, businesses – both startups and established – need to get their new products to market quicker, smarter and as cost efficiently as possible.

Making good decisions early can create the competitive advantage companies need to maximize revenue opportunities. Rapid prototyping can help.

Look at a company like Xerox. Last year, with printer sales declining, the company adopted a rapid prototyping approach to streamline their production cycle for their value-added services.

Xerox focused on smaller, more customized projects so that they could give (and get) instant feedback early in the process. With the help of this rapid feedback loop, products like the Digital Nurse Assistant were commercialized several months quicker than it would had Xerox opted for a more traditional approach.

Million-Dollar Errors in New Product Development

Regardless of whether they build in-house or outsource, OEMs need to maneuver through industry requirements, eliminate costly design mistakes, and ensure quality early in the process.

Rapid prototyping is a smart option for OEMs looking to do this quickly, especially if they leverage a partner that is rich in end-to-end expertise. (Did I mention that Creation Technologies specializes in end-to-end solutions for OEMs?)

In many situations, prototyping and manufacturing are done in isolation. Not only are opportunities for improvement overlooked, critical information often gets misinterpreted in the process, adding unnecessary costs and time onto the development process.

Creation Technologies’ Business Development Director for Creation Express Services, Michelle Angel, has worked with product innovators in the Bay Area for two decades. Today, she’s focused on creating high-impact solutions for Creation’s rapid prototyping customers. Michelle told me that if a mistake is not identified or fixed at the prototyping stage and moves into production, the simple error could cost a customer hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of dollars.

Are you making million-dollar errors in a time where every competitive advantage matters?

Congratulations to Paul Ryan, New Speaker of the House

March 9, 2017October 30, 2015 by Bhawnesh Mathur

Made in the USA

There is a certain element of pride whenever you can say you build and sell your products and services domestically. But just as big a thrill is knowing that your elected officials support what you do.

Less than two months ago, Congressman Paul Ryan (Wisconsin) took time out of his busy schedule to visit Creation’s Oak Creek, Wisconsin business unit and show his support for our company and the U.S. manufacturing sector as a whole. This week in Washington, he was officially elected as the 54th Speaker of the House of Representatives.

For companies like Creation in the electronics manufacturing sector, the announcement is exciting.
According to the IPC Association, the world’s leading association for electronics manufacturing companies, there are an estimated 800,000 employees in over 2,200 U.S. member facilities. Having leaders with proven support of domestic manufacturing and knowledge of our sector can stimulate economic growth in our American manufacturing communities.

paul_ryan_creation_technologies1 — From left to right: James Stevenson, Eric Bohnsack, Rep. Paul Ryan, John Mitchell (IPC), Ron Euer

During his visit to Oak Creek, Rep. Ryan spoke about the global impact of innovation within America’s electronics industry.

“Creation Technologies is on the cutting edge of our economy. They’re promoting innovation and creating the jobs of the 21st century. We’ve got to streamline the regulatory process so more manufacturers in southeast Wisconsin can expand opportunity from the bottom up,” said Congressman Paul Ryan.

Rep. Ryan’s visit was in conjunction with IPC’s “Meet the Policymakers” program, which resulted in government leaders visiting three of Creation’s U.S. locations in the past year. In addition to Congressman Ryan’s appearance, IPC has helped coordinate visits from U.S. Rep. Tim Walz (Minnesota) to Creation–St Peter and U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson (Texas) to Creation–Dallas.

With Ryan’s new position, many are optimistic that domestic manufacturing will continue to get stronger, enrich communities, and keep America on the cutting-edge of technological advancement.

For more from IPC about Paul Ryan’s new role, read their latest press release:

IPC Congratulates Congressman Paul Ryan on Election to Speaker of the House of Representatives Statement from John Mitchell, IPC President and CEO

Innovation, Influence and Impact: An Interview with MedTech’s Jessica Crawford

January 4, 2018October 13, 2015 by Jennifer Marsh

I had an opportunity to catch up with Jessica Crawford, President of New York-based MedTech, heading into the week of MEDTECH 2015. Jessica and I discussed today’s most significant opportunities and business challenges for bioscience and medical technology OEMs.

Janelle Urchenko: Tell us more about the origins of MedTech. I understand it grew from the idea of transforming Upstate New York into a knowledge-based economy.

Jessica Crawford: MedTech was founded in 2004 by four New York State bioscience and medical technology (Bio/Med) companies – Bristol-Myers Squibb, ConMed Corporation, Sensis Corporation (acquired by Saab in 2011), and Welch Allyn.

MedTech was formed at the urging of then New York Senator Hilary Clinton in response to an economic development plan recommending closer collaboration among medical products and services firms to help grow the region’s knowledge-based economy. The idea was that by acting together we would have greater success, benefitting industry as well as the entire region with more knowledge-based jobs, which are higher paying with greater economic impact.

Our mission is really an economic development one – forming an epicenter of Bio/Med activity by developing the relationships, tools and programs that enable New York State companies to bring tomorrow’s medical solutions to the healthcare marketplace.

MedTech provides a single voice for the Bio/Med industry and also encompasses the entire ecosystem – from innovators to suppliers and academic research to service providers – providing a vehicle for collaboration and the sharing of best practices.

JU: What’s your vision for the evolution of this ecosystem, and how is it relevant in today’s changing economic climate?

JC: This couldn’t be more relevant than in today’s dynamic industry landscape. In today’s ever-evolving healthcare marketplace, identifying untapped potential is essential for success.

Partnerships emerge through investments, consolidation and public-private collaborations, bringing together payers, providers and patients to improve care and reduce costs.

At the heart of this convergence is creativity, building momentum for growth. Through purposeful collisions – industry and academia; entrepreneurs and business leaders; domestic and abroad – convergence drives progress through the development of new technology, product enhancements and radical innovation.

MedTech will be highlighting this and more at our annual conference, MEDTECH 2015 “Convergence: Building Momentum for Growth” on October 14-15 in Buffalo, NY.

JU: We’re certainly looking forward to some great discussion, and maybe even a little debate, at the conference! Also to meeting new people from other MedTech member companies. What is it about New York that attracts medical and biotech businesses? And how are these companies leveraging the growing MedTech community to engage their customers in the area and beyond?

JC: New York is among the top tier of states in the size of its bioscience industry and the scale and reach of its bioscience research complex.

Here are some of what I think are very exciting stats:

State firms employ nearly 75,000 in the biosciences.
New York’s academic institutions conducted $3.5 billion in bioscience academic research and development in 2012.
State institutions, both academic and non-academic, have received $1.9 billion in funding from the National Institutes of Health in 2013 alone.
New York inventors were issued nearly 6,400 patents from 2009 through 2013 in bioscience-related technologies.
In each of these key metrics of the scale and innovative nature of the biosciences, New York is among the top 10 states. (From Battelle/BIO State Bioscience Jobs, Investments and Innovation 2014)

MedTech connects New York State’s Bio/Med industry through collaboration, education and advocacy. MEDTECH 2015 is a prime example. It draws more than 300 decision-makers from throughout the industry, and offers unmatched opportunities to strengthen and build new relationships with industry leaders and meet new partners, resources and customers. Our signature Collaboration & Growth Track also offers partnering opportunities with some of our industry’s foremost companies, this year including Air Liquide Healthcare, AMRI, Johnson & Johnson and PARC – a Xerox Company.

We’re also very excited that this year’s conference is in Buffalo, NY. The energy and momentum surrounding the Bio/Med industry in Western New York is palpable and is a testament to the capital infusion by New York State and local industry into its downtown core.

In the last five years alone, Western New York has experienced a four percent growth in Bio/Med employment, yielding $5.6 billion in total economic impact.

JU: MedTech’s focus seems to be on community, scalability and tools for success in today’s competitive marketplace. With regard to tools — how are MedTech companies measuring success these days? Is the focus still on speed to market, or are you seeing a shift with new competitive pressures?

JC: With the onset of the Affordable Care Act, the business of healthcare has changed dramatically as the focus has shifted to health outcomes and behavioral changes.

For example, information-leveraging technologies including smartphone applications and sensors are empowering patients with transparent information and giving them more control over their health. Further, to help reduce costs and improve quality, companies are changing the way they innovate and identifying efficiencies in production.

Our “Manufacturing Innovation” panel at MEDTECH 2015 also features industry experts, including, as you know, Creation Technologies President and CEO Bhawnesh Mathur. This session will examine how new technologies, partnerships and initiatives in manufacturing are reducing costs and production time, while also developing custom solutions including personalized devices, prototypes and injection molding.

I’m looking forward to hearing Bhawnesh speak to new industry trends and resources that you are leveraging for your customers, as well as how Creation’s customers are innovating for their own marketplaces.

JU: MedTech talks about the vibrant community at its epicenter. Is there a success story you can share? What do you think are the indicators of a successful relationship?

JC: MedTech means different things to each of our members. Consequently, success or value for one may mean something completely different to another.

Member Bill Rader, president and CEO of Efferent Labs, Inc. participated in a MedTech Metro event in 2014, making a presentation on his development stage bio-device company focused on implantable biosensors. Someone in the audience followed up with him afterward and encouraged him to apply for the 43North Competition – the world’s largest business competition with $5 million in cash prizes.

Bill took the advice and applied. He later learned he was a semi-finalist and ultimately took home second place and $500,000 and more in cash and incentives to locate in Buffalo, NY.

Efferent Labs, Inc. is now on the fast track toward success – made possible through a MedTech connection.

JU: Back to the origins of MedTech and its goals – this year’s MEDTECH 2015 conference surfaces some new areas of focus like, “How to Play Nice with Others”. What is your prediction for medical device companies in the next year? What might be some hot topics at MEDTECH 2016?

JC: The theme for MEDTECH 2015 is focused on convergence and how new industry trends are leading to unique opportunities for partnering and investment. To remain competitive, industry stakeholders including payers, providers and patients, are coming together in novel ways.

Consolidation has become the norm as bigger appears to be better in the post Affordable Care Act world. Traditional consumer giants like Google and Samsung with either technical expertise or market share are also leveraging strategic partners to enter the Bio/Med industry. This paradigm shift is heating up competition and creating unique opportunities for collaboration.

This year’s “How to Play Nice with Others” panel discusses emerging channels for consumables and the repurposing of technology to appeal to varying populations, as well as the challenges that arise from new players entering the healthcare market.

And it’s unlikely that these trends are behind us.

Provider systems around the country are following payers’ moves, also entering into new relationships at a feverish pace. Just this year, Barnabas Health and Robert Wood Johnson Health System combined their 11 hospitals to form New Jersey’s largest health system and Prime Healthcare Services’ takeover of six-hospital Daughters of Charity Health System. And private practice acquisitions are happening daily in the health delivery space.

MEDTECH 2016 will continue take on these trends and more when we return to Albany, NY next fall.

If you haven’t already registered, it’s not too late! I believe there are still a few tickets left for MEDTECH 2015, which you can get by contacting events@medtech.org.

I’m looking forward to hearing all about MEDTECH 2015 from Jessica and the folks at MedTech, as well as from Bhawnesh and the other Creation folks who are attending.

If you missed it, Bhawnesh shared a sneak peek here of his thoughts around the complex subject of Manufacturing Innovation in medical devices.

And maybe Connie Griffin will publish a recap to go along with her lead-up post to the conference that presents an interesting perspective on the impact manufacturing and the medical community are having on revitalization in New York State.

Healthcare’s Slice of IoT: Wirelessly Connected Medical Devices

September 3, 2015January 15, 2015 by Bhawnesh Mathur

The billion-device, billion-dollar Internet of Things (IoT) holds the potential to dramatically transform healthcare.

Wirelessly connected medical devices increase patient mobility while giving healthcare professionals real-time access to patient data, throughout the hospital, and at the point of care.

Devices that were previously tied to a computer can now communicate wirelessly with one another using Bluetooth, ZigBee or over a hospital’s existing Wi-Fi network.

Today, for instance, an EMG machine used to detect neuromuscular abnormalities can wirelessly transmit critical-care data to other local devices or maintenance data back to the OEM.

This stream of information provides an optimal experience for users, while enabling medical device companies to improve product functionality.

Connected Medical Devices: Risk and Reward

Connected medical devices hold tremendous promise for medical device manufacturers. According to the Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA), network-enabled medical devices represent a potential revenue opportunity of $6.6 billion.

Medical OEMs, however, face particular technical challenges when it comes to the IoT and connected medical devices.

While integrating sensors into a toaster can produce a handy consumer device, safely and securely integrating wireless connectivity into a new or existing medical device can be life-saving.
Wireless connectivity also adds a new level of complexity to medical device design and development.The FDA recommends that medical OEMs take the following into consideration:
- Selection of wireless technology
- Quality of service
- Coexistence
- Security
- Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)
Design validation must also include risk analysis of the RF wireless communications and control functions.
Determining the best wireless scheme also depends upon a device’s unique environment, as well as the required level of privacy support and cybersecurity.

It’s important to note that not all devices need to connect to the Internet; they may simply need to connect to a few other local devices. Different schemes also have varying password and encryption methods.

Improving the patient experience with wireless medical diagnostics

Connectivity Know-How

Through stringent device testing, design validation, and the verification methods necessary to meet regulatory requirements, EMS providers with wireless communications expertise can help medical OEMs overcome the unique challenges of wireless-connectivity integration.

With Creation’s long history of providing innovative design, manufacturing and test solutions for complex Communications products, over the last few years it’s been a rewarding experience for us to leverage this knowledge to help our Medical customers produce new devices quickly and reliably.

Safely and securely reducing time-to-market while reducing risk never felt healthier.

If you’d like more information about how we can help you with product development or manufacturing improvements for connected medical devices and M2M, please visit our website or let me know!

IPC Government & Electronics Industry Leadership Conference in D.C.

December 14, 2015July 22, 2014 by Bhawnesh Mathur

Creation CEO Bhawnesh Mathur discusses the electronics industry with Congressman Tim Walz of Minnesota with Congressman Tim Walz of Minnesota — IPC’s IMPACT 2014: Creation Technologies CEO Bhawnesh Mathur discusses the electronics industry with Congressman Tim Walz of Minnesota

I believe strongly that the electronics industry and EMS providers such as Creation Technologies have key roles to play in the ongoing development of technology leadership.

I also believe that as today’s business leaders, we have a responsibility to do what we can to create economic opportunity and growth in our communities.

One way we can foster this growth is through activism in the industry associations that bring together and give a voice to our varied perspectives and expertise. As such, I currently sit on the IPC Board of Directors and serve as Chairman of the IPC Government Relations Steering Committee.

IPC Government Relations Committee & IMPACT 2014

The mandate of the IPC Government Relations program is to support the industry by “promoting policies that foster economic growth, job creation and enhance international competitiveness”, addressing key issues like tax, trade and environmental technology policy.

To that end, on June 10 and 11, I had the pleasure of spending time with 16 other executives from IPC member-companies while participating in IMPACT 2014: IPC on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

The purpose of the conference was to share with senior American policymakers our collective perspective on current challenges and opportunities, and IPC was very successful in arranging a series of meetings to discuss specific initiatives that we believe will benefit our customers and strengthen the electronics industry.

These initiatives sparked thought-provoking discussion with all of the U.S. Government leaders with whom we met. It was an added pleasure to have the chance to meet with Members of Congress representing communities in which Creation has business units, specifically Senator John Cornyn and Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas, Congressman Andy Barr of Kentucky, Congressman Paul Ryan from Wisconsin, Congressman Tim Walz of Minnesota, and Congressman Brad Schneider of Illinois.

Bhawnesh joins IPC Government Relations Committee colleagues and IPC President and CEO John Mitchell in a light-hearted moment with Senator Mark Warner

Congressman Brad Schneider of Illinois and Creation Technologies CEO Bhawnesh Mathur

Some of the summit’s leading issues were:

• Manufacturing and the economy: Support for domestic innovation and manufacturing through the creation and full funding of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), and passage of S. 1468/H.R. 2996, the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act (RAMI). The NNMI is a public-private partnership that draws on the resources of the federal government, local governments, universities, research institutes and industry to accelerate R&D of manufacturing technologies with commercial applications. IPC is working with its members and the government to influence the selection of the next round of R&D programs in areas such as flexible hybrid electronics and electronic packaging and reliability.

• Environmental regulation: A bipartisan effort to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and promote recycling of manufacturing byproducts.

• National Security: A modernized export control regime with clear and appropriate controls on printed boards designed for defense electronics.

You can find more information in a blog post on IPC’s website: Electronics Industry Leaders Meet with U.S. Policy Makers on Capitol Hill

National Network for Manufacturing Innovation

The proposal for a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation is a compelling one.

Today we’re seeing manufacturing and technology innovation like never before. Entrepreneurship is one of Creation’s Core Values, and so it’s exciting to see our governments invest actively in leadership and development at both federal and local levels.

In Canada, we saw the Canada Accelerator and Incubator Program (CAIP) established in 2013 through the National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP). Through short-term financial support to select incubators and accelerators, CAIP aims to “harness innovation” of small- and medium-sized business, providing the venture capital, expertise and infrastructure to fast-track new products and services to market.

In the U.S., the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation program has a similar goal, with the proposed legislation aiming to build a nationwide manufacturing innovation network with unparalleled reach and impact. Formation of this network is key in enabling Americans and American companies to excel in the development and commercialization of new technologies. Because Creation is a full-service electronics manufacturer with a specialization in turnkey product design services, this is something especially close to our hearts.

IPC Executives, Bhawnesh and electronics industry colleagues on IPC Government Relations Committee meeting with Senator John Cornyn

Working Together to Build the Future

At Creation, we see firsthand how electronics and electronics manufacturing continue to play pivotal roles in job creation, economic growth and technological advancement.

It’s heartening to see all stakeholders – from investors to entrepreneurs to business leaders to government to academia – invested in the manufacturing and technology ecosystems, and working together for transformation.

Forums like IPC’s IMPACT are essential to this kind of holistic collaboration, and it’s a privilege for me to take part. This year, as always, I learned a great deal from my fellow committee members and the elected officials with whom we had very good discussion, and I’m appreciative of everyone’s candor and insight. Thank you also to the IPC team for making the conference possible and for bringing government and industry leaders together to create alignment on key issues.

I look forward to IPC’s IMPACT 2015 and the opportunities it will bring to build relationships, awareness, and a bright future for the electronics industry.