Global hardware growth is facing an increasingly fragile and fragmented supply chain. At PCIM Europe 2026, software intelligence firm Luminovo’s OEM Growth Lead, Inga Schwarz, made a compelling case for why AI is no longer enough to save hardware companies from costly operational challenges. The industry, she argued, must embrace a transition toward deep, native domain enterprise integration to build a unified “digital thread.” With the fast-moving advancement of generative models set against modern supply chain complexity, Schwarz delivered a reality check for OEMs and EMS providers navigating the global market.

AI adoption in PCB manufacturing is now widespread, yet fewer than 10% of companies have fully scaled deployments, underscoring a global gap between experimentation and factory-wide integration. For readers worldwide, the findings point to a sector where quality gains are real, but talent, data, and governance constraints are slowing broader industrial change.

At COMPUTEX 2026, e-paper moved beyond e-readers and electronic shelf labels, finding new applications in vehicles, signage, and smart mobility. The technology’s expansion signals a widening role in low-power displays as AI and transport applications continue to grow.