Roadmap
Through its roadmaps, iNEMI charts future opportunities and challenges for the electronics manufacturing industry. These widely utilized roadmaps:
- help OEMs, EMS providers and suppliers prioritize R&D and technology deployment investments
- influence the focus of university-based research
- provide guidance for government investment in emerging technologies
Roadmapping is a key component of iNEMI. Electronics manufacturing facilities require significant investment of capital and developing a production line based on what turns out to be the wrong type of manufacturing process or electronic component class can be an expensive mistake. With product cycles measured in months (and continually shrinking), and facility construction times and lifetimes still measured in years, it is not only prudent, but essential, that management have a high level of confidence that any technology investment is dedicated to a function that will be demanded by the market several years into the future. By illuminating what processes and capabilities will be needed for future products, the iNEMI roadmaps provide this high level of confidence.
Solving Real Problems
A key challenge faced by iNEMI's founders was finding a way to keep a broad industry initiative focused on solving real problems and developing priorities that make business sense. From the earliest discussions, it was agreed that the solution would be to keep iNEMI focused on the manufacturing needs of future products. But what products should be used for such a focus? Clearly, electronics companies were never going to agree on using "real" products, since competition is the very fabric of the marketplace.
iNEMI's founders decided to invent "virtual products" with representative price points and representative sets of attributes. They found that these virtual products - or product emulators - could be used to define the technology developments needed by a wide range of companies. With the virtual products defined, it was a straightforward exercise to systematically work through detailed lists of what is needed to manufacture each product, including materials, components, process equipment and automation.
Today, iNEMI maps the future manufacturing needs for five product sectors (based on five "virtual product" emulators): (1) automotive, (3) consumer/portable products, (3) medical products, (4) netcom (network/datacom/telecom) and (5) office/large business systems. Included in each product sector discussion are future product attributes plus key cost and density drivers. (The iNEMI, SIA and IPC roadmaps all use the same product sectors.)
Once the product requirements are defined, iNEMI creates roadmaps for a number of interrelated technologies, which are then integrated into a single roadmap report. The technology roadmaps provide a statement of how, quantitatively, the technology is expected to evolve over the next 10 years in terms of performance and related characteristics.
Areas of Focus
For each roadmapping cycle, iNEMI determines technology and infrastructure areas according to what is happening in industry and what changes are expected to have the greatest effect on electronics manufacturing. In some cases, areas are influenced by other roadmaps, such as those developed by SIA or IPC. In others, iNEMI is requested to cover a specific area by another organization. Plus, NEMI membership - through the organization's Technical Committee - helps determine the technology and infrastructure areas on which the roadmap should focus.
The technology and business practice areas addressed in the 2009 iNEMI roadmap are:
- Board assembly
- Electronic connectors
- Environmentally conscious electronics
- Final assembly
- Information management systems
- Interconnect PCBs — organic
- Interconnect substrates — ceramic
- Large area flexible electronics
- Mass data storage
- Modeling, simulation & design tools
- Optoelectronics
- Packaging
- Passive components
- Photovoltaics
- RF components & subsystems
- RFID item-level tag
- Semiconductor technology
- Solid state illumination
- Test, inspection & measurement
- Thermal management
Industry Input
iNEMI solicits broad participation from industry, academia, associations and government agencies to create the technology roadmaps. Technology Working Groups (TWGs) produce the roadmaps for each of the defined technology and infrastructure areas. These TWGs are typically chaired by representatives from iNEMI member companies, but participation in the roadmapping process extends beyond iNEMI members to ensure the broadest, most accurate view of the future. Typically, several hundred individuals from a diverse cross-section of companies and organizations get involved in developing iNEMI roadmaps.
Addressing the shifts anticipated in each technology area, along with the related technology gaps, benefits not only the electronics industry but can also improve the competitiveness of downstream industries such as automotive, computers, telecommunications and aerospace/defense.