BANNOCKBURN, IL – “Global demand remains strong, but we are starting to see some early signs that demand might be slowing,” says Shawn DuBravac, Ph.D., chief economist, IPC, in the August Economic Outlook report. “Even with demand slowing, back orders remain high, and inventories remain low, which should keep manufacturers busy for the foreseeable future. Covid has become a sledgehammer to confidence.”

BREA, CA — Additive Circuits Technologies has acquired Bench 2 Bench Technologies, manufacturer of flexible PCBs for the medical device markets, for an undisclosed sum.

NEEDHAM, MA — Smartphone shipments are expected to grow 7.4% in 2021, reaching 1.37 billion units, followed by 3.4% growth in 2022 and 2023, respectively, according to International Data Corp. The 7.4% growth can be attributed to 13.8% growth from iOS devices, combined with 6.2% growth from Android.

NEEDHAM, MA – Global wearables shipments grew 32.3% year-over-year as volumes reached 114.2 million during the second quarter, according to International Data Corp. Despite early signs of slower consumer tech spending, purchases of wearable devices remained strong during the quarter as consumers once again ventured outdoors with the urge to track their health and activity.