FOCUS ON PCB 2026: Two days of conferences on AI in manufacturing, supply chain resilience, and Europe’s industrial future.

 THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD INDUSTRY TACKLES ITS MOST PRESSING CHALLENGES — FROM FACTORY-FLOOR AI TO GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN SHIFTS AND THE POLICIES
EUROPE NEEDS TO STAY COMPETITIVE.
 TWO DAYS OF CONFERENCES AND TECHNICAL FORUMS FEATURING INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION LEADERS, TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES, AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

MAY 7, 2026 – The fifth edition of Focus on PCB – From Design to Assembly, Europe’s reference trade show for the printed circuit board industry, brings together designers,  manufacturers, and assembly professionals around a packed conference programme. This year’s agenda tackles the sector’s most urgent questions: global supply chain rebalancing, artificial intelligence on the factory floor, and the industrial policies needed to keep Europe in the game.

READING THE MARKET: SHORTAGES, COSTS, AND NEW EQUILIBRIA
The 13 May sessions open at 11:30am with a presentation curated by Assodel, the Italian association of electronic components distributors. Director Diego Giordani, alongside Luca Giovelli (PCB Group Coordinator) and Alberto Maggi (EMS Group Coordinator), will present data from the Assodel Observatory covering component shortages, price trends, and the shifting dynamics of the supply chain — concrete analysis for anyone making procurement and strategic planning decisions.

FIVE VOICES ON AI ENTERING THE FACTORY
The afternoon session on 13 May —Algorithms in Production: Industry Enters the Age of Intelligent Agents — brings together five organisations already deploying artificial intelligence in industrial electronics.

Starting at 2:15pm, speakers will take the stage in sequence. BI-REX will present an automated defect monitoring system for 3D-printed electronic circuits. TTLab will share its experience with multi-agent architectures in software development, focusing on the developer’s evolving role as project lead. CEFRIEL will address corporate AI adoption, from strategic vision to operational rollout. SAKI Europe will demonstrate how AI is transforming SMT inspection of PCBs — boosting speed and precision while cutting defect rates. Finally, Luminovo will show how intelligent software is reshaping PCBA quoting processes for Italian EMS providers.

EUROPEAN INDUSTRIAL POLICY TAKES CENTRE STAGE
The morning of 14 May features a wide-ranging European roundtable: “Building a Resilient Electronics Ecosystem: Strategies, Investment, and the Policies We Need.” Joining the discussion are Alison James (Executive Director, Global Electronics Association Europe), Thomas Michels (VP EIPC and CEO of ILFA), and Cosimo Musca (President, ANIE Componenti Elettronici). The conversation will focus on the policy levers and investment required to strengthen Europe’s PCB value chain in an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape. The roundtable begins at 10:30am.

INVESTING IN TALENT
At 2:15pm on the same afternoon, Gi Group “Tech Me Up” session addresses one of the sector’s most structural challenges: the shortage of skilled professionals. Marianna Marrazzo and Giacomo Recalcati will present Gi Group “Training Hub model, which bridges education and industry through structured employment pathways. Gi Group will also have a dedicated presence on the show floor, in the ” Hub Fare Impresa” business area (hall 7, booth A32).
Full conference programme: www.focusonpcb.it/en/conferences

EXHIBITOR FORUM: TECHNOLOGY UP CLOSE
Rounding out the programme, the Exhibitor Forum gives industry operators the floor directly: more than twenty-five technical presentations across both days, covering topics from European manufacturing resilience and design-for-manufacturability to AI-driven testing, space-grade reliability, and a cost comparison between production in Europe, the US, and China.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Focus on PCB 2026
Dates: 13–14 May 2026
Venue: IEG Exhibition Centre, Vicenza, Italy
Organised by NürnbergMesse Italia, promoted by the Assodel PCB Group and hosted by IEG – Italian Exhibition Group, under the patronage of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) and ANIE Componenti Elettronici.
The 2025 edition hosted 147 exhibitors from 19 countries, with a 15% increase in visitors compared to 2024 and significant international participation. Since 2025, Focus on PCB has been officially recognised by the Veneto Region as an Event of International Relevance.
More information at www.focusonpcb.it/en/home_en

NÜRNBERGMESSE ITALIA
Nürnberg Messe Italia has been active in the Italian market since 2009 as the Italian branch of the Nürnberg Messe Group, one of the world’s 15 largest trade fair companies. It includes Nürnberg Messe GmbH and its 15 subsidiaries and affiliates. The Group employs over a thousand people across eleven locations in Germany, Brazil, China, India, Italy, Greece, Austria, and the United States. It also has a network of international representatives in more than 100 countries. Its portfolio includes around 120 national and international exhibitions and conferences, held both in-person and as digital events, focused on five macro-sectors: Retail & Consumer Goods, Building & Construction, Process Technology, Electronics & Security, and Social & Public. These events help preserve jobs and generate billions of euros in annual revenue and purchasing power, making Nürnberg Messe a key economic engine for both the Nuremberg metropolitan
region and Germany as a whole. As an employer and organizer of major events, Nürnberg Messe takes responsibility for people and the environment. Its corporate actions are guided by the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, with the aim of achieving climate neutrality in its energy supply by 2028.

Press contact
Vertigo Srl – Press office Focus on PCB
Ph. +39 02 70 60 52 54
Stefano Cazzani cazzani@vertigonet.it
Elisa Bellintani bellintani@vertigonet.it