iNEMI Recruiting Participants for the 2009 Roadmap
North American Kick-Off Meeting will be Hosted by Agilent Technologies
February 20-21 in the Silicon Valley
HERNDON, Va. - January 15, 2008 - The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI), an industry-led consortium focused on advancing manufacturing technology, is gearing up for development of its 2009 Roadmap and is looking for industry experts to contribute to the effort. The North American kick-off meeting is scheduled for February 20-21 at the Agilent Technology facility in Santa Clara, Calif. and is open to anyone who wants to participate in iNEMI’s next roadmap.
“This kick-off meeting is an excellent opportunity for individuals in the North American region to get involved with the roadmap,” says Chuck Richardson, iNEMI’s director of roadmapping. “It gives everyone the chance to get in ‘on the ground floor.’ At this meeting, we’ll be reviewing preliminary reports on the Product Emulator Group (PEG) chapters, which are already in development. These reports will be followed by break-out sessions in which all of the Technology Working Groups (TWGs) will hold their first meetings to identify key issues to be addressed in their respective technology areas. The TWGs will then report back to the group as a whole, giving everyone the chance to discuss the ‘big picture’ and coordinate on issues that affect all aspects of the roadmap.”
Richardson notes that iNEMI encourages broad participation in order to ensure that the requirements and needs of industry are accurately reflected. “This effort requires a good mix of OEMs, EMS providers and suppliers to produce a document that will be useful to industry,” he says. “We are also trying to ensure a global view of the industry and have efforts running in parallel in Europe and Asia.”
There are five PEGs and 20 TWGs, providing a broad range of topics. New this year is the Solid State Illumination TWG, which will focus on the use of solid state approaches to replacing more conventional methods of lighting. Click here for a complete list of PEGs and TWGs.
Membership in iNEMI is not required to participate in the roadmap. Richardson notes that there are several advantages to companies getting involved in iNEMI’s roadmapping process.
“The experience leads to a better understanding of the ‘state of the art,’ as well as early access to the technical and business information, in those areas in which the organization participates. It also provides an opportunity to shape the industry’s future priorities concerning R&D and to impact iNEMI’s future direction through technology gap identification.”
Regarding the time commitment required of roadmap participants, the PEGs and TWGs typically meet by teleconference, sometimes as often as once a week. Limited travel is required of the group chairs, and there are only two face-to-face meetings that include all PEG and TWG members. These are the kick-off meetings plus a review meeting, or workshop, held approximately halfway through the development process. The North American workshop is scheduled for May 14 in Herndon, Va. Workshops in Europe and Asia will be held during June, at dates to be determined.
About the iNEMI Roadmap
Every two years, iNEMI maps the future manufacturing needs of the global electronics industry in order to identify the key technology and infrastructure developments required to assure leadership of the supply chain over the next decade. It helps companies anticipate shifts in product requirements and provides an early warning of changes in technology or infrastructure.
Since 1994, the roadmap has served as the foundation of all iNEMI activities. iNEMI uses the roadmap’s forecasts to identify critical technology and infrastructure gaps, prioritize R&D needs to meet these gaps, and initiate activities to address industry needs.
Roadmap teams are organized into Product Emulator Groups (PEGs) and Technology Working Groups (TWGs). The PEGs define the future manufacturing needs of "virtual products" from five areas: (1) portable/consumer, (2) office/large business systems, (3) netcom (network/datacom/telecom), (4) automotive, and (5) medical products. The TWGs use the product requirements developed by the PEGs to forecast trends for 20 technology and infrastructure areas. Each TWG predicts the evolution of technology and/or business practices for its specific area, identifies gaps and "showstoppers" in the existing technology and/or infrastructure, and develops recommendations for its respective area.
Meeting Details
The roadmap meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 20, and will conclude at 5:30 on Thursday, February 21. A preliminary agenda and logistics information are posted on the iNEMI website at http://www.inemi.org/cms/calendar/2009_RM_NA_Feb_08.html
The meeting is being hosted by iNEMI member Agilent Technologies (5301 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara, CA, Aristotle Room). Registration is free, but attendees are asked to register in advance (for planning purposes). See the online registration form.
Anyone interested in getting involved with the 2009 iNEMI Roadmap should contact Chuck Richardson, iNEMI director of roadmapping (+1 256-880-0922 or Chuck.Richardson@iNEMI.org).