The 2019 East China PCB Equipment and Materials Supply Chain Exhibition (CTEX 2019) was held at the Suzhou International Expo Center from May 15-17. Major Taiwanese manufacturers including Zhen Ding and Unimicron had actively participated in this exhibition amongst 500 other manufacturers that jointly exhibited advanced technologies and products related to the PCB industry. 

 

While looking forward to the prospects of the PCB industry this year, Lee Chang-Ming, the General Manager of Unimicron, pointed out that there may be six factors that can affect the development of the industry. These factors include the Apple iPhone, 5G, high-end substrate, the industrial standards of Mainland China, vehicle electronics, and the Sino-US trade war. 

 

Lee Chang-Ming further stated that for the 5G base stations, aspects such as vehicle radar, other fields of PCB, and various high-frequency products positively affect the prospects of 5G in 2019. However, the pressure of high-quality standards and product reliability is exceptionally high. For PCB manufacturers, it would be advisable for them to invest in improving the manufacturing and managerial capabilities of these products in order to adhere to these high standards. 

 

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China issued the "The Specifications for Printed Circuit Board Industry " earlier this year. Upon reading the statement, Lee Chang-Ming believes that there are four key purposes in this announcement. One is to adjust the product structure for the purpose of achieving industrial transformation and upgrading. The second is to accelerate the elimination of poorly organized enterprises and promote more industry leaders. The third is to encourage the cluster development of the PCB industry to construct a complete industrial park and the fourth is to guide enterprises to move out of the cities and into industrial regions so that the high-risk and high-pollution enterprises and the community development areas are separated. 

 

Shen Ching-Fang, the chairman of Zhen Ding Tech, said that the development of new applications for vehicle-motion under 5G technologies is accelerating. Since the costs of vehicle electronics account for the increases in vehicle prices yearly, it is estimated that this increase will reach 50% by the year 2030. Consequently, this will also lead to a gradual increase in the amount of PCB that will be utilized. Furthermore, Zhen Ding Tech’s optimism about the long-term development of vehicle electronics has resulted in their accessing of safe vehicle electronic components. (News source: United Evening News)