iNEMI Focuses on Mission of Advancing Manufacturing Technology
iNEMI.org

By  James McElroy, executive director, iNEMI, Robert Pfahl, vice president of operations, iNEMI,
Cynthia Williams, director of communications, iNEMI and
John MacWilliams, Bishop & Associates Inc.

For years, leaders in industry, academics, and government have debated the need to strengthen domestic manufacturing bases vs. manufacturing offshore. The subject is particularly germane to electronics, where significant globalization has occurred in several waves, going back to radio and television in the 1960s.

The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) resulted from the convergence of industry and government efforts to establish serious industry-wide programs to improve the competitiveness of the electronics manufacturing supply chain. The initial focus was on North America, with the mission later broadening to support the global industry.

iNEMI's founders initially focused efforts on electronic systems manufacturing, emphasizing future information products that connect to information networks. Since then, iNEMI’s work has expanded to include a wide range of electronic components and systems, with an emphasis on enabling technologies and manufacturing issues such as technology roadblocks.

Other International Efforts
The importance of manufacturing technologies and infrastructure issues has also been recognized elsewhere. Emerging economies, which have incentives to develop strategic technologies and whole new industries, include Japan, Taiwan, and, more recently, Korea and China, and have resulted in expanding foreign trade, while building infrastructure and jobs.

MITI of Japan (now METI) was born in 1950, and for years has been coordinating manufacturing and trade policy for the Japanese government. In Germany, the Fraunhofer Institute rose to prominence in industrial research and development. Taiwan’s ITRI performed similar work, becoming a catalyst for Taiwan’s ascendancy in specific market segments such as LCD displays, PC motherboards, notebook PCs, and digital cameras. In China, several efforts, including its Ministry of Commerce and the marketplace, have produced impressive results.

iNEMI Roadmap
With a membership that includes more than 65 electronics manufacturers, suppliers, associations, government agencies, and universities, iNEMI provides an environment in which partners and competitors alike can collectively anticipate future technology and business needs and effectively develop collaborative courses of action to meet those needs.

iNEMI’s activities fall into two main areas: roadmapping and deployment. With its biannual roadmaps, iNEMI anticipates the needs of the global electronics industry and identifies technology and infrastructure gaps, then organizes deployment activities to help eliminate those gaps (both business and technical). iNEMI also works with government, universities, and other funding agencies to set priorities for future industry needs and R&D initiatives.

The iNEMI roadmap has become recognized as an important tool for defining the “state of the art” in the electronics industry, as well as identifying emerging and disruptive technologies. It also helps set priorities for research and development over the next 10 years, and is not only used by industry, but also by government funding agencies and university-based research programs.

Efforts are organized into Product Emulator Groups (PEGs) and Technology Working Groups (TWGs). The PEGs define the future technology needs of “virtual products” from five areas: 1) automotive, 2) consumer/portable, 3) medical, 4) netcom (network, datacom, and telecom), and 5) office/large business systems. Each PEG chapter forecasts future product attributes, including cost and density drivers.

The TWGs forecast trends for numerous technology and infrastructure areas and contrast those trends with anticipated product needs. The TWGs predict the evolution of technology and/or business practices, identify gaps and “showstoppers” in existing technology and infrastructure, and develop recommendations for their respective areas.

Membership is not required to participate in the roadmap and, in fact, iNEMI recruits participation worldwide in order to ensure a global view of the industry.

The 2009 Roadmap will be available to industry in March 2009. Its 1,400 pages of information are organized into 25 chapters covering five product sectors and 20 technology areas (listed below). 

Product Sectors

• Automotive

• Consumer/portable

• Medical

• Office/large business systems

• Netcom (network, datacom, and telecom)

 Manufacturing Technologies

• Board assembly

• Final assembly

• Test, inspection, and measurement

Component/Subsystem Technologies

• Electronic connectors

• Energy storage and conversion systems

• Interconnect substrates – ceramic

• Interconnection PCB – organic

• Mass data storage

• Optoelectronics

• Large area flexible electronics

• Packaging

• Passive components

• Photovoltaics*

• RF components and subsystems

• RFID item-level tag*

• Semiconductor technology

• Sensors

• Solid state illumination*

Business Processes/Technologies

• Information management systems

Design Technologies

• Environmentally conscious electronics

• Modeling, simulation, and design

• Thermal management

*New topics for 2009.

Deployment Activities

Once technology and infrastructure needs are identified, iNEMI addresses them through collaborative activities that: 

        Accelerate deployment of new technology

        Develop industry infrastructure

        Disseminate efficient business practices

        Stimulate standards

iNEMI has been particularly active with environmental issues in recent years. Legislation restricting the use of certain substances (such as lead) in electronic assemblies has had a significant impact on the electronics manufacturing supply chain. The consortium has helped its members and industry prepare by better understanding the characteristics of lead-free processes, studying the problem of tin whiskers and developing mitigation strategies, and organizing efforts that take a proactive, strategic approach to environmental concerns.

One of the latest areas of concern is the elimination of halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) and PVC from electronic products. Many of the major OEMs are proactively eliminating these materials because of concern over the formation of dioxins during burning. This change affects not only PCBs and assembly processes, but also connectors, housings, cable insulation, etc. It is expected that the next two years will be a period of rapid development and evaluation of alternative materials for connector housings and cable insulation to find suitable replacements. iNEMI has already established an initiative to investigate alternatives to PVC insulation for cables, and is evaluating what collaborative efforts might aid in converting the connector industry to HFR-free materials.

Strength in Numbers
In all of its activities, iNEMI offers a number of advantages over individual company efforts:

1. It provides a forum in which companies can collaborate with customers and potential customers, as well as suppliers and potential suppliers.

2. It leverages the capabilities and expertise of its diverse member organizations to create an environment in which the sum is truly greater than its individual parts.

3. By identifying where industry is going and what technologies, business practices, and products it needs to get there, iNEMI helps members effectively focus not only their investments in R&D, but also investments in technology deployment for greatest return.

4. And last, but certainly not least, the broad representation from leading OEMs, EMS providers, equipment vendors, materials suppliers, software vendors, and more gives iNEMI's efforts the critical mass required to make an impact.

For more information, visit www.inemi.org/cms/roadmapping/2009_Roadmap.html.

John MacWilliams
Senior Consultant and Analyst, Bishop & Associates Inc.
John MacWiIliams has been in the electronics industry for over 40 years. His main areas of experience have included: U.S. competitiveness programs, market research studies, authored articles, field sales and management, product marketing management, strategic marketing, new product planning, venture development, advertising and media relations, direct sales, manufacturers representative, distribution sales management, and international marketing. MacWilliams has worked with AMP, Diceon Electronics, TRW, and IRC in marketing management positions. Prior to joining Bishop & Associates, MacWilliams served as the group director of marketing and new product planning for AMP.

MacWilliams is a graduate of Lehigh University, where he studied business management and engineering.

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