HERNDON, Va. — August 3, 2005 — The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) is convening the iNEMI Innovation Leadership Forum at its corporate headquarters in Herndon, Va., September 15-16.  The forum is intended to launch a coordinated initiative that will stimulate innovation and manufacturing research for the electronics industry.  The objective is to create a research and development vision that will help focus limited R&D resources in order to ensure development of the innovative technologies required to maintain the growth of the electronics industry over the next decade.

"The rapid globalization of high-tech innovation and manufacturing has caused several notable industry leaders to express serious concerns about the future competitiveness of our industrial infrastructure," said Bob Pfahl, vice president of iNEMI.  "It is widely accepted that sustained growth of our industry requires development of disruptive technologies, innovative products, and advanced manufacturing processes.  However, industrial research has consistently downsized over the past decade.  The 2004 iNEMI Roadmap identified a number of key technology and business challenges facing the electronics industry in the next 10 years.  If these challenges are not addressed with innovative solutions, the continued viability of the electronics manufacturing industry will weaken. It is critical that we aggressively encourage academic and institutional R&D centers to focus on innovation to meet technology needs and identified R&D gaps."

Pfahl says that leaders from industry, government and academia will use the day-and-a-half forum to discuss innovation challenges, technology roadmaps for emerging sectors, product development and manufacturing strategies, educational issues, R&D priorities, recommendations and potential funding mechanisms.

A broad cross-section of electronics and emerging industries are expected to participate in this forum.  National Semiconductor’s chairman and CEO, Brian Halla, will open the event with a discussion of innovation vision and challenges facing the US high-tech industry.  Other confirmed speakers include Dave Wohleen, vice chairman, Delphi Electronics (topic: automotive); Curtis Tearte, general manager of IBM’s Systems and Technology Group (computing); Justin Ratter, Intel senior fellow and director of Intel’s Corporate Technology Group (semiconductor innovations for consumer electronics); Iwona Turlik, corporate vice president, Motorola (communications); Brian Swiggett, principal, Prismark Partners (emerging markets); Vasudevan Moorthy, vice president for VLSI & systems design, Wipro (global design); Mary Good, CEO of ASTRA and former Under Secretary of Commerce (consortia); Linda Katehi, dean of engineering, Purdue University (academic research); Mike Roco, chair of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, NSF (government research); Uma Chowdhry, vice president, Central Research and Development, DuPont (advanced materials); and  Keith Blakely, CEO, NanoDynamics Inc. (innovative manufacturing).

Forum organizers are targeting business leaders, innovators and research decision-makers, such as technology executives of major electronics OEMs, chief executives and technologists of emerging high-tech firms and government labs, policymakers in key government agencies, venture capital leaders, and university-based researchers.  Also targeted are product/market/business strategists, especially in emerging markets (medical devices, sensors, RFID and SiP) and key future markets (biotechnology, nanotechnology, MEMs, alternative and renewable energy).

"As manufacturing capabilities and jobs continue to migrate to low-cost regions, innovation in product development and manufacturing technologies to launch the next generation of high-tech companies becomes ever more critical," says Sundar Kamath, chair of the iNEMI Innovation Committee and senior vice president for Sanmina-SCI.  "Sustained investments to promote such innovation, be it through federal, industrial or venture capital sources, is of utmost importance.  Through this forum, we hope to focus management attention on strategic technology innovation issues and to develop a set of funding priorities to help ensure continued competitiveness of the electronics industry in ‘high-cost’ regions, such as the US."

Attendance is by invitation and will be restricted to 150 participants.  The registration fee is $295 for non-members (free for iNEMI members).  For more details about the forum, visit http://www.inemi.org/cms/calendar/iNEMI_innovation_forum.html.  Anyone interested in attending should contact Bob Pfahl (+1 703-834-2083 or bob.pfahl@inemi.org).

About iNEMI

The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative’s mission is to assure leadership of the global electronics manufacturing supply chain.  Based in Herndon, Va., the industry-led consortium is made up of approximately 70 manufacturers, suppliers, industry associations and consortia, government agencies and universities.  iNEMI roadmaps the needs of the electronics industry, identifies gaps in the technology infrastructure, establishes implementation projects to eliminate these gaps (both business and technical), and stimulates standards activities to speed the introduction of new technologies.  The consortium also works with government, universities and other funding agencies to set priorities for future industry needs and R&D initiatives.  For additional information about iNEMI, visit www.inemi.org.

For further information:
Cynthia Williams, iNEMI
+1 207-871-1260
cwilliams@inemi.org