Keynote speakers for NEDME 2018 announced

Turoczy, Co-Founder and General Manager of PIE (the Portland Incubator Experiment) and PIE Shop, will kick the event off with the morning keynote session at 8am with a talk on Portland’s startup scene. Benson, Technology Champion at Screaming Circuits, will continue the program at 1pm with his vision of the next decade in electronics manufacturing.

Morning keynote speaker Turoczy is a Portland tech legend and founder of the Portland Incubator Experiment, an ongoing experiment to explore how established organisations, such as corporations, government agencies and educational institutions, can effectively collaborate with the Portland startup community. Turoczy has been active in the startup community for more than 20 years and produces content on his tech blog, Silicon Florist.

Turoczy stated: “We’ve seen a distinct shift in the Portland startup community in recent years. What was once largely a group of software companies has become a thriving community of organisations pursuing both software and hardware, as well as hybrid connected devices that require knowledge of both disciplines. For the first time in my experience, we have the opportunity to leverage our region’s rich history and knowledge of manufacturing, especially the knowledge housed in organisations outside of the city centre, for the benefit of the entire regional ecosystem, startup or otherwise.”

Afternoon keynote speaker Duane Benson has been at the forefront of the reinvention of manufacturing in the U.S. over the last decade with Screaming Circuits. As a technologist, writer, speaker and industry pundit, he’s actively exploring the future of manufacturing. 

Benson commented: “The next ten years in electronics manufacturing, whether you’re a design engineer or a manufacturing manager, will be exhilarating, overwhelming and at times terrifying. This year’s NEDME will help guide engineers and managers as new capabilities and challenges continue to change our playing field.”

The expo is expected to be attended by hundreds of industry leaders in manufacturing, supply chain and engineering. This year’s theme, ‘New Product Introduction and Getting to Market,’ will showcase the region’s most innovative products and manufacturing services. 

Attendees will learn about emergent trends and new technologies in product design, manufacturing, design for manufacturability (DFM), production line testing, crowdfunding and more. Between sessions, attendees can get a firsthand look at product demos and components produced by leaders in the region’s electronics industry and visit face-to-face with suppliers.

Register for the conference or exhibit floor here.