The Global Electronics Association hosted the “Advancements in Component to System Integration” session at IMPACT 2026, where speakers examined technical challenges in AI-driven high-performance computing packaging.
As demand for AI compute shifts packaging architectures from single components toward system-level integration, the association said every link in the supply chain must evolve. IMPACT 2026, organized by the Taiwan Printed Circuit Association, the IEEE Electronics Packaging Society, IMAPS Taiwan and the Industrial Technology Research Institute, is themed “Energy-Efficient AI: From Computing to Systems and Applications.”
The session brought together perspectives from printed circuit boards, IC substrates, outsourced semiconductor assembly and test, and electronics manufacturing services system assembly. Jason Wang of Unimicron discussed the semiconductor-like evolution of substrates and the substrate-like evolution of PCBs. Ming-Che Hsieh of STATS ChipPAC covered 2D large fcBGA-MCM, 2.1D/2.5D integration and 3D packaging solutions, and the path from 2D to 3D technologies.
Ander Hsieh of Wistron described surface mount technology challenges when larger system-on-chips and BGAs with stacked high-bandwidth memory are mounted on system PCBs, including solder-joint fatigue, board warpage, placement drift and reflow defects. E. Jan Vardaman of TechSearch International summarized shared challenges and gaps across advanced packaging, substrates, PCBs and board-level assembly, and areas where greater industry alignment is needed for package-to-board integration.
Matt Kelly, CTO and vice president of technology solutions at the Global Electronics Association, said: “AI and high-performance computing are reshaping the demands placed on electronic packaging, and no single part of the supply chain, from packaging and substrates to board-level assembly, can address these challenges alone. The technology gaps and needs identified through this conversation will help inform the Association’s work on next-generation guidelines and standards, and they reflect our role as a platform for communication across the supply chain.”
The Global Electronics Association said it will continue connecting stakeholders across the supply chain through industry engagement and standards development.
