IPC K-FEST 2026 Brings AI, Manufacturing and Standards into Focus

Organized by the Global Electronics Association with support from Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL), the fourth IPC Korea Festival of Electronics Standards and Technology (IPC K-FEST 2026) took place in Seoul on November 3. The Association's flagship event in Korea brought together industry experts for technical presentations, standards discussions and regional task group meetings exploring the manufacturing needs arising from AI growth.

AI Infrastructure and Manufacturing Adoption

Jung H. Yoon, Ph.D., Distinguished Engineer & CTO, IBM Supply Chain, delivered a remote keynote on AI infrastructure growth, technology drivers and evolving supply chain dynamics. His presentation examined the growing importance of advanced packaging, high-bandwidth memory, interconnects, power delivery and cooling solutions, highlighting the need for coordinated development across the electronics supply chain.

Sydney Xiao, President, East Asia, Global Electronics Association, shared research findings on AI adoption in PCBA manufacturing. While 81% of surveyed companies planned to increase investment in AI for manufacturing, only 10% reported having achieved scaled AI integration. Key barriers included talent and capability gaps, difficulties demonstrating return on investment (ROI), and challenges in replicating pilot results in production environments. Data quality and cross-system integration were also identified as important considerations.

Manufacturing Challenges and Standards-Based Solutions

Technical presentations addressed complementary manufacturing challenges. Lee Jinho, whose background includes the Korea Electronics Technology Institute and an advisory role at Daeduck Electronics, discussed high-power PCB reliability. Hwang Young-Ho of Guru E&E Inc. covered conformal coating from design through application, guided by IPC standards. Jeong Seong-O of Interxsoft Corporation explored equipment connectivity and manufacturing data exchange through IPC-2591 CFX.

Advancing Standards to Meet Industry Needs

Regional task group vice chairs Yu Jae-Wook of LG Energy Solution and Jang Soon-Sik of Huneed Technologies shared updates on IPC standards activities and localization in Korea, including IPC-A-610, J-STD-001 and IPC/WHMA-A-620. An IPC-A-610 / J-STD-001 Regional Task Group Meeting provided a forum for participants to discuss technical questions and share practical implementation experience.

Tina Choi, Chief Representative, Korea, Global Electronics Association, reviewed the Association's key achievements in Korea in 2026, priorities for 2027 and major global events.

Recognizing Contributions and Strengthening Collaboration

The Global Electronics Association Korea Awards 2026 recognized contributions to standards and industry development. Park Jihun of Kyungshin Cable received a Special Contribution Award as he concluded his term as vice chair, honoring his contributions to the Korean IPC-A-610 task group, international standards development and revision, Korean translation reviews and standards adoption. EOS received a plaque of appreciation marking ten years of Association membership and recognizing its continued promotion of IPC standards in PCB design, fabrication and assembly.

By linking AI trends, factory-floor challenges and standards work, K-FEST provided a platform for Korea's electronics industry to exchange experience and participate in international standards development. The Global Electronics Association extends special thanks to Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL), all speakers, participants and partners for their support, and looks forward to continued technical exchange and collaboration.