The innovative EMS industry

EMS companies are not necessarily dependent on the innovative spirit of their customers. Although this was increasingly the case in the past, today the industry itself scores with showcase projects.

So far, the EMS industry has often lacked public visibility when it came to innovation: One factor was the lack of branding, because in the end companies don’t have a product that they market and sell. Nevertheless, nowadays there are plenty of direct and indirect innovations from the EMS industry.

As one method, some companies approach the aspect with a new solution: So-called “own employee exchanges”, where employees can place their ideas for innovations themselves. If an idea is implemented, this is rewarded. In this regard, companies also offer bonuses for good ideas, for example when processes can be made more efficient through employee suggestions. This is how the Optical Control component counter was created, a prime example of an innovation from the EMS industry.

Aside from that, many new manufacturing processes are also developed in collaboration with or even under the leadership of an EMS: Together with partners, a company has implemented a new technology for the lithographic structuring of printable precious metal pastes. The technology has already proven itself in concept prototyping and in small batches and is already available to key customers. Typical applications that already use this technology can be found in intelligent portable products, highly miniaturized sensors, photonics applications and high-speed data transceivers.

Another possibility is also cooperation in research networks and with local colleges, universities and scientific institutes. Therefore, large projects under this heading exist, in which the EMS and its development department are part of a European research network. Together with universities around Europe, private producers can work on an IT project to optimise aspects of logistics, lighting technology and security technology.

Last but not least, innovation is often also created in or through cooperation between electronic service providers and start-up companies. Such young companies profit greatly from the fact that producers are innovators. Start-ups are often characterized by the fact that they have a hip idea, but little or no experience with electronic implementation. Here EMS companies like to step into the breach and take over the development, production and perhaps also the after-market service. Support for start-ups has meanwhile developed into a pillar of the business model for electronics service providers. Hardly any EMS does not rely on this horse.

Note: This article is based on the Article “So innovativ ist die EMS-Industrie” from the Magazine Markt und Technik

References

[1] Markt&Technik (2018) So innovativ ist die EMS-Industrie! Url: https://www.elektroniknet.de/markt-technik/elektronikfertigung/so-innovativ-ist-die-ems-industrie-158749.html