SAN DIEGO – Finland-based JOT Automation has opened a new site here.

WASHINGTON – Dr. Jennie S. Hwang has been appointed as chair for the Board on Assessment of US Army Research Laboratories – Materials, Department of Defense.

ORADEA, ROMANIA -- Plexus has opened a $30 million, 290,000 sq. ft. electronics assembly facility here. The initial head count of 300 is expected to grow to 1,000 when the unit is fully operational, according to published reports.

NEWARK, NY -- IEC Electronics has been notified that the New York Stock Exchange has accepted the company's plan to regain compliance with its continued listing requirements.

TAIPEI -- Wistron will form a medical business group by year-end, becoming the latest PC ODM to expand into other, higher-margin markets.

WASHINGTON, DC -- More than 1 million parts now have RoHS and REACH materials declarations, thanks to BOMcheck, a collaboration of OEMs including Philips, Siemens and GE.

CHELMSFORD, ESSEX, ENGLAND -- Pillarhouse said it set a sales record in 2012 for the third consecutive year, and its annualized average growth rate has topped 21% for three consecutive years.

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan's Ministry of Science and Technology will establish a group of electronics design and quality assurance laboratories around the country to support local supply chains, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

WEYMOUTH, ENGLAND -- DEK has presented 15 Tsinghua DEK SMT scholarships to students at Beijing-based Tsinghua University as part of their joint program to nurture young engineering talent.

BILLINGSTAD, NORWAY -- Kitron today named Dag Songedal interim CEO, pending the appointment of a permanent CEO.

SAN JOSE — Worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings plunged 32% year-over-year in the first quarter, SEMI said this week.

WASHINGTON, DC -- A US House of Representatives committee has submitted a report directing the Missile Defense Agency to consider highly accelerated life testing and highly accelerated stress screening test equipment as means for determining reliability issues, including ones caused by counterfeit electronic components.