EMSNOW

Hosted by Eric Miscoll

Technology

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Episodes

228

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

With shows like The EMS (Eric Miscoll Show), EMSNOW Up Close, and EMSNOW on Tour, it's no surprise everyone in the electronics manufacturing industry is subscribing to EMSNOW's podcast channel.

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60 recent

June 16, 202617 min

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 - Mycronic

In a slight departure from the norm for the OnTour visits, Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss their visit to tour sponsor Mycronic, which is headquartered in Sweden. They met with CEO Anders Lindqvist and the management team, Göran Frank, head of product management, Thomas Bredin, area sales manager, and Rickard Clark, application engineer. The discussion covers the importance of equipment selection and configuration in executing any manufacturing strategy. For example, using Mycronic's integrated approach is especially effective for low volume/high mix EMS where easy changeover is so critical. The discussion goes into the details of the Mycronic line: stencils to AOI and component storage with the AI driven software to support it.We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI EverywhereMycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

June 15, 202619 min

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 - Inission

The Tour team discusses a visit to Inission Group's EMS business, which is #99 on the EMS & ODM Global 100 list; they met with Fredric Grahn, Director of Sales and Marketing for the EMS business. This company has executed on a unique growth strategy of aggressive acquisitions over the past decade as it expands the group's business as a power supply OEM by adding EMS capabilities through 11 facilities located in the Nordic region, Eastern Europe, and Tunisia. Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss the implications and results of this approach to growth.The two analysts then go into an explanation for why PCBs are in short supply in the industry right now. This is an underreported phenomenon, getting much less attention than the memory shortage. Dieter explains the reason the PCB manufacturers are switching to different materials for boards used by the data centers, and what that means for the rest of the market sectors. The disruption highlights the need for the industry to support European PCB manufacturers.The podcast ends with a preview of the rest of the Nordic On Tour visits.We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI EverywhereMycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

June 14, 202619 min

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 - Scanfil

Reporting again from Stockholm, Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss their visit to Scanfil, ranked #46 on the EMS & ODM Global 100 list. Dieter first provides the background on this 50-year old Finnish-headquartered EMS and its CEO Christophe Sut and then the two dig into its unique business. They described what they learned about the lean, empowered local teams running the specialized factories focused on markets: defense, med-tech, clean tech, energy and the catch-all 'industrial' sectors. Each facility has the appropriate certifications and equipment sets.The conversation turns to the overall trends the team is hearing about as they mark the half-way point on this tour. They have visited five out of the nine Nordic EMS companies scheduled and talked with the CEOs of all five. Some common themes are emerging around challenges of material shortages, geographical differences in terms of product life-cycles and customer expectations, and cautious implementation of AI. But what is becoming clear is there is a remarkable diversity in leadership styles and strategic goals. The team agrees, there is not just one right way to run an EMS in 2026. These leaders are all very successful, in spite of, or maybe because of, their different approaches to management.We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI EverywhereMycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

June 12, 202618 min

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026: Kitron

The in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour team is in Stockholm, reporting on their meeting with Peter Nilsson, Kitron's CEO and the management team at the Kitron Eltech AB (Kungsängen) facility. This facility came under the Kitron umbrella as a result of their acquisition of DeltaNordic earlier this year; Kitron is #49 on the EMS & ODM Global 100 list.Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss begin with an overview of this leading Nordic EMS, and then discuss some of the themes from the interview. Kitron is very strong in defense electronics; Dieter notes his latest data show Kitron as the largest defense EMS in Europe. The company also makes power conversion electronics for data centers, IoT and medical devices. Peter emphasizes fast decision-making to his managers, and their growth trajectory reflects strong organic growth. The conversation also includes developing trends in Europe, including shortages of not only memory chips, but PCBs, something that the industry was not expecting.The podcast ends once again with a quick preview of the next few interviews, and gratitude to the sponsors.We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI EverywhereMycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

June 10, 202626 min

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 - NOTE

Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss continue their tour of European EMS with a discussion of two companies emblematic of the current trends in the region. They describe yesterday's tour of the newest PCB manufacturing facility in Europe at TLT in Vilnius, Lithuania and the implications for Europe whose share of the PCB industry has dwindled substantially. After sharing their thoughts about a ride on a 12-seater airplane to Torsby, Sweden (see photo), the conversation turns to Sweden-based EMS NOTE, which is #77 on the EMS/ODM Global 100 list. They met with Johannes Lind-Widestam, CEO; Karin Nicols and Magnus Lundin.The discussion explores the unique characteristics of European EMS management and business strategy which they agree differs markedly from that of EMS in other geographies. They discuss customer engagement priorities, the ideal facility size in terms of employees and revenue; and how companies are responding to market conditions including the shortages driven by resources diverted to the data center build-out.The On Tour team will be in Stockholm for the next four days, expanding their knowledge and insights in preparation for EMSNOW's continuing coverage.We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI EverywhereMycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

June 9, 202621 min

EMSNOW and in4ma On Tour 2026 - TLT Manufacturing

This third podcast from in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 begins with impressions from the morning session of the EIPC Summer conference in Vilnius, Lithuania where Dieter Weiss presented on the PCB industry. He reminded attendees of the value of participating in valid industry research programs, sharing data which is aggregated anonymously and helps guide executives. The conversation turns to the company on the docket for the second visit: TLT Manufacturing. They describe the impressive TLT campus, 'Technology Hill' which has expanded substantially since their last visit. It is a thriving enterprise, with a young workforce, which has grown organically through strategic investment and construction. The data-packed discussion concludes with a preview of tomorrow's agenda.We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI EverywhereMycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

June 8, 202614 min

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 - InCap

Recorded in a location close to the Munich airport, this analysis of a meeting at InCap's Karlsfeld, Germany facility includes impressions from Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss about the unique characteristics of this well run global EMS that came in at #93 on the EMS-ODM Global 100 list. The On Tour team has visited several InCap facilities over the years, including the one in India last fall; all exhibit similarly decentralized management organizations, by design. InCap's CEO Otto Pukk is determined to give shareholders maximum value by delivering a very lean structure where authority is localized and the emphasis is on manufacturing. The company is moving toward vertically integrated manufacturing services, with data management being central to flexibility and resilience.The team travels to Lithuania next and the podcast concludes with a preview of the week's planned meetings. We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. - CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI EverywhereMycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

June 8, 202619 min

in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour 2026 - Focus on Nordic EMS

Eric Miscoll and Dieter Weiss discuss the European EMS industry on this kick-off podcast for the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW On Tour. They outline the details and logistics about this tour focused primarily on Nordic EMS. The conversation is based on in4ma's ever evolving database of 986 EMS companies in Europe, which is now reflecting 2025 revenues; Dieter's data driven insights reveal a disruptive and volatile year as the industry responds to the chip crisis arising from the AI hyperscaler build out. "It will be a difficult and interesting year for the EMS industry," is the consensus. We gratefully acknowledge the following companies who are sponsors of the 2026 in4ma & EMSNOW Tour and research. - CalcuQuote: Supply Chain Intelligence for Electronics Manufacturing– Koh Young: Measure Everything, AI EverywhereMycronic: Bringing tomorrow´s electronics to life TrustedParts.com: Genuine electronic components from only authorized sources

June 3, 202619 min

Up Close with Heriberto Cuevas Velázquez, Sales Manager Team Leader Mexico and South America

EMSNOW learns about Koh Young’s response to new challenges in Mexico and South America from that geography’s team leader Heriberto Cuevas Velázquez. With AI changing everything, he explains, training has taken center stage both internally, and for Koh Young customers. They are investing in classrooms and demonstration centers, and forging new partnerships to attract and retain the highly skilled engineers needed to help Koh Young’s EMS customers become more productive. Demand for training is strong – they are proud of the 900 (!) people they have trained since 2020, representing over 95 companies; that rate has accelerated in recent months.Heriberto goes on to describe the highly competitive, fast-paced and ever-evolving market for inspection equipment in Mexico and South America. He shares insights and examples about Koh Young’s specific positioning as an innovator in ‘the power of data’ which is fundamental to any AI algorithm. We think you will enjoy this discussion about all the rapid developments in this dynamic geography for electronics manufacturing from an industry leader in automated inspection equipment.

June 2, 202621 min

Up Close with Sam Mason, Business & Operations Lead – North America, Luminovo

Luminovo's Sam Mason provides EMSNOW with a business update on its activities in North America. This includes new North America-based team members and just announced quoting software features, including Luminovo's rew risk module. With the acceleration of geopolitical disruption and volatility impacting electronic components directly, the ability to monitor the health of each BOM in production is mandatory. Luminovo partners with Silicon Expert to enable part-level early detection of risk to avoid the 'golden screw' dilemma where one part holds up an entire production line.The conversation includes a frank discussion of the 'make or buy' decision process for component supply chain software faced by EMS or OEM manufacturers. When does it make sense to leverage a specialized software solution provider like Luminovo instead of developing the capabilities in-house? While electronics manufacturers must consider the unique capabilities and digital journey of their organization, plugging into the 80 Luminovo engineers that have been building tools to address this for the past 8 years helps an organization avoid the 'little blind spots' that can crop up, Sam cautioned.Sam also explains what he sees as Luminovo's key differentiators in this fast-paced, AI driven development environment. He recommends that those EMS and OEMs struggling with component supply chain challenges do a test drive of their tools on Luminovo.com.