The middle months of 2026 have been defined by, shall we say, “projects” throughout the industry, and as we approach the end of the third quarter, many of those projects are coming to light. That’s the theme I’m getting from this week’s news, and I tried to capture it with my selections. My must-reads include a market update on the leading fabless semiconductor houses, a call to action from SEMI directed at the policymakers in the European Union, a rollup of workforce and educational programs announced just this week, a role change at Indium, and the relaunch of the Global Electronics Association Sustainability teams’ DMA Toolkit.  

It makes sense to go where the customers are, which is why Indium Corporation recently opened a new solder paste manufacturing facility in Guadalajara, Mexico. Chris Bastecki, vice president of the Americas Sales and Service Group at Indium Corporation, as well as vice president of PCB Assembly Materials, discusses the reasons behind the new facility, the growing market segments, and the challenges of matching solder to specific applications.

PCB designers often work behind the scenes, but their decisions can determine whether an electronic product succeeds in manufacturing. At the FED Annual Conference in Germany on Sept. 23, the PCB Design Award 2026 will put that work in the spotlight. Marcy LaRont interviewed FED Managing Director Christoph Bornhorn and board member Erika Reel about what makes a winning design, and how the profession is changing as AI, automation, and other technologies reshape electronics development.