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MUNICH – A pair of European trade groups will launch a major policy initiative for the electronics and electrical sectors later this month.

ZVEI and Orgalime will present Electra at the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the EU on June 25.

WASHINGTON – The AeA today called on the European Union to comply with International Trade Agreement rules covering import duties.

ENDICOTT, NY – Endicott Interconnect Technologies, in concert with Binghamton University and Cornell, has launched the Center for Advanced Microelectronics Manufacturing. The joint project intends to pioneer microelectronics manufacturing research and development in a roll-to-roll format.

These efforts are expected to result in flexible, rugged, lightweight electronic components and innovative products critical in areas such as military and homeland security, lighting, energy and power generation, displays, and product identification and tracking.

“R&D is our engine for the creation of new products and intellectual property, as well as an important tool for solving today’s manufacturing issues,” said James McNamara, president and CEO of EI. “This collaboration between industry and academia has resulted in a truly impressive CAMM facility that will be the backbone of tomorrow’s electronics and helps to support our long-range technology efforts.”

CAMM will also provide large-scale testing whereby academic and industrial research groups can test their work for manufacturing applicability.

SAN JOSE, CA – The Semiconductor Industry Association called on the US Senate to exempt certain highly educated, foreign-born graduates of domestic universities from annual employment-based green card limits, as proposed in legislation introduced by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Judd Gregg (R-NH).

The bipartisan bill would permit US semiconductor companies to retain critically needed talented professionals who make important contributions to American innovation.

Specifically, the bill would exempt highly educated, foreign-born students earning an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics from a US university from the annual EB green card limit.

Last month, Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Chris Cannon (R-UT) introduced a companion measure in the House of Representatives.

“Semiconductors are America’s second-largest export because our highly educated workforce designs the most advanced devices in the world,” said SIA president George Scalise. “The legislation introduced today by Senators Boxer and Gregg recognizes the importance of retaining this top talent, particularly after these students have graduated from US universities. We strongly urge Congress to enact this common-sense legislation this year. This is an opportunity for our elected leaders to show they are serious about taking steps to ensure America’s technology leadership through innovation.”

Backlogs in the EB green card system are well documented, with wait times for some foreign-born professionals spanning six to 10 years. SIA has partnered with IEEE-USA to advocate for EB green card reform.

“With US universities awarding half of master’s and 70% of Ph.D.s in electrical engineering to foreign nationals, it is clear that America also needs a long-term solution for retaining this talent,” said Scalise.

FRAMINGHAM, MA – A pair of research firms have upped their PC outlooks for 2008 on continued demand for laptops.

LONDON – TT Electronics today named Geraint Anderson chief executive, effective Aug. 4. He superseded Neil Rodgers, who resigned Wednesday.

The company, which makes sensors for automotive applications and provides EMS services, also reiterated its first-half forecast for lower results versus last year.

The company said in May it was taking a cautious view for the year over concerns about the credit crisis.

Anderson was previously global vice president of Cisco's Linksys Service Provider Business.

SAN JOSE – The industry is at an interesting time in history because macroeconomics is struggling, yet the semiconductor market will continue to grow over the next three years, the president of the Semiconductor Industry Association said today.

In its semiannual forecast, the trade group today lowered its 2008 outlook for overall IC growth to 3.9%, citing continuing woes for memory chips.

SURREY, UK – HumiSeal Europe has published a new edition of the Conformal Coating Facts and Data Handbook, a guide for technology and processes for conformal coatings.

The book is more than 30 pages and is available as an interactive PDF, providing information ranging from chemistry types to application methods and a glossary.

The company plans to publish a hardcopy version.

To request copies, contact deborah.hammond@humiseal.eu.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – DuPont Electronic Technologies announced a global price increase of up to 20%, effective June 16. The company cites rising raw material, transportation and energy costs among its reasons for the increase.

“Due to the record rise in raw material, transportation, energy and other costs, we must pass increases along to our customers,” said Timothy P. McCann, vice president and general manager, DuPont Electronic Technologies. “We have offset cost increases as much as possible with improvements in efficiency, productivity and other internal actions; however, we simply cannot continue to absorb the current increases and invest in our future without some effect on price.”

DuPont Electronic Technologies supplies electronic materials for semiconductor packages and other products.

THIEF RIVER FALLS, MN – Digi-Key Corp. has been awarded Atmel Corp.’s Distributor of the Year Award for outstanding performance in 2007.

A presentation was made at Atmel’s annual sales conference.

"Digi-Key is not only our fastest growing distributor, but their success in supplying the engineering community with a record number of design and development tools is truly an indicator of why they were chosen for this award," said Dave Esto, senior director of Americas distribution for Atmel.

Atmel researches, designs, manufactures and markets semiconductors, including microcontroller, nonvolatile memory, logic, secure, mixed analog/digital, radio frequency and sensor ICs.

ST. LOUIS – LaBarge Inc. received an additional $1.5 million in orders from Northrop Grumman to produce electronics assemblies for the AN/ALQ-135 radar jammer system.

SEOUL – LG Electronics is considering outsourcing its handset manufacturing, a company spokesman said yesterday. The company, the world's fourth-largest cellphone OEM, is eyeing Flextronics and Foxconn as possible partners.