A in PCB ManutacturingFrom Pilots to ScaleAglobal benchmark of where Al is actuallyrunning today-and what it takes to scale.April2026Global ElectronicsAssociation'
ResearchOverviewObiectivesFvaluate Al adoption status in PCB manufacturingAssess business value from Al applicationsdentifv scalable pathwavs and critical enablersUnderstand investment trends and industry collaboration needsScopeIndustrv: Printed Circuit Board (PCB) ManufacturingGeoaraohv. Global with focus on Chinese Mainland, TaiwanRegion, Southeast Asia, North America, and EuropeTimeline:January-April2026;MethodoloavQualitative interviews: 6 anonymous executivesGlobalElectronicsAssociation
Key FindingsGlobalElectronicsAssociation'
If Al is mainstream, why is impact still uneven?Al has crossed the use threshold. but production deployment and valuereallzatlon remaln uneven.68%32%81%0/UsingNotyet inNo clearIncreasinginvestmentAltodayproductionvalue yetThe central question: what separates "'using Al"from"scaling Al"and why companies are still investing through the friction.Seed1n1631017
Adoption is real;maturity Is unevenMost firms have started. Few have turned Al intoa repeatable manufacturing capabilityThe industry is still at the"assisted intelligence,phase, not "autonomous manufacturing,GlobalElectronicsAssociation'
The industry has started -many are still early adoptionAdoption is broad. but most usage is still confined to afew areasSpotlight:68%use; 19% plan to useMore than two-thirds (68%) of companies are curently using Al in PCB manuf acturina. with one in seven (14%) reportina use across mulfiole areasNotably, one-fifth(19%)of companies are not yet using Al but have plans forfuture adoption, signaling continued growth ahead.Among curent users, adoption remains early-stage, with 40% reporting use n only a few areas and 14%; stil in pilot phases, indicating substantial opportunity forexpansion.UseofAlinPCBManufacturingPrimaryPCBManutatutingSiteLocationtel)MainlANdTaiwanSoutheastNOrthOther"Overall Alis stillin a partialChinaRegionAsiaEuropeAmericaRegion(s)appicationstage, whichhas,Total(B)(C)（E)（F)notyetcoveredtheentireA)manufacturingprocess."USENET68%72%68%89%58%62%83%Yes,usedacrossmultipleareas14%14%10%17%17%14%17%"Themanufacturingprocessincludes approximately100Yes,usedinafewareasonly40%41%39%50%25%38%50%processsteps, whileAlStillinpilot/PoCstage14%17%19%22%17%10%17%appicationscurentlycoveronlypartofthesesteps."Notyetused,but aleadyplanned19%16%13%11%25%19%17%Notyet considered14%12%19%0%17%19%Ognland Chinal(Ne-761 Talvan Redion/N-311.Southeast AstafN-18"1Eurone /N-12"1NothAmerica N-211OtherRectionts /IN-6ryRerbelalggtronics
Scale is there- butit's still the exceptionMost firms are in"'pilot"o not fullv intearated scaleSpotlight:8% scaled & integrated A maturity remains early-stage, with only 8% re porting Al fully integrated into manufacturing systems,Most companies are in pre-scale stages of maturiy, with 30% running Al in a limited set of well defined scenarios and 26% tllin plot or experimental phases This e...
