Europe’s PCB story is changing from survival mode to smart growth, and the signs are finally visible on the factory floor. I sit down with Adeon Technologies' André Bodegom, the leading PCB technology supplier in Europe, to unpack a rare mix of optimism and pragmatism: a spotless new plant opening in Lithuania, major players eyeing expansions up to 50 percent, and defense programs quietly balancing a sluggish automotive sector. The throughline is technology with purpose—intelligent automation, MES-driven control, and AI that turns AOI data into tangible improvements in yield, speed, and consistency.

We pull back the curtain on what “smart factory” really means for high‑mix, low‑volume producers. Instead of one-size-fits-all automation, we’re talking adaptive workflows, software-defined changeovers, and MES as the command center that aligns jobs, machines, and quality gates. Machine data, once ignored, becomes the decisive asset: collected at the edge, normalized, and fed upstream to scheduling and process engineering. The result is a tighter loop where the plant doesn’t just measure defects—it prevents them in real time.

AI plays a breakout role, especially in inspection. You’ll hear how multi-level AI approaches reduce false calls, spotlight recurring defects, and progress from human-in-the-loop suggestions to safe, closed-loop parameter tweaks. We also explore the human side: an older workforce bolstered by a wave of digital-native engineers who expect clean data, clear interfaces, and fast iteration. Pair that talent shift with modern MES and connected equipment, and you get a credible path to European resilience without chasing commodity scale.

If you’re weighing investments in MES, AOI analytics, or data infrastructure—or you’re simply trying to future-proof high‑mix operations—this conversation offers practical steps to climb the trust curve with AI and automation. Subscribe, share with a colleague who cares about yield and cycle time, and leave a review with your biggest challenge on the road to closed-loop control.

EMS@C-Level is hosted by global inspection leaders Koh Young (https://www.kohyoung.com) and Global Electronics Association (https://www.electronics.org)

You can see video versions of all of the EMS@C-Level pods on our YouTube playlist.