How Better Industry Data Powers Smarter Policy And Business Moves, with Chris Mitchell

Data is only useful when it changes your next move. During my recent 'on location' session with Global Electronics Associates, I sat down with Chris Mitchell, Vice President of Global Government Relations, to unpack how a new, global industry intelligence program is turning raw numbers into decisions that matter for EMS leaders, OEMs, and policymakers. From Washington to Brussels and beyond, the focus is on credible, high-integrity data that can be sliced by sector, region, and supply chain layer—so leaders can act with speed and confidence.

We dig into why the market feels like it is at an inflection point: EV growth is reshaping power electronics, AI hardware is driving demand for advanced boards and thermal solutions, and supply chains are being rewired for resilience and yield. Chris explains the build-out of dedicated data leads across regions, the push for stronger partnerships, and the shift from static annual reports to self-serve analytics. The goal is clear: let members interrogate the dataset, surface the “so what,” and back strategic choices—from capacity bets to localization—with evidence.

Advocacy comes alive when policy meets proof. We explore how hard data informs briefings for governments, helping align on supply chain priorities, incentives, and workforce needs. It’s a two-way street: members gain foresight on policy directions and access to decision-makers, while policymakers gain ground truth on EMS capabilities, quality demands, and bottlenecks. Throughout, we highlight the evolving role of EMS as strategic innovation drivers—partners who manage complexity, lift yields, and enable brands to scale globally without sacrificing reliability.

If you’re navigating electronics manufacturing, this conversation brings clarity on where momentum is building, how to measure it, and how to act on it. Subscribe, share with a colleague who lives in spreadsheets, and leave a review with the one question you’d ask a global industry dataset.

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.

Transcript

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 0:07

Hello, I'm Philip Stoughton. I'm here at the Global Electronics Association headquarters in beautiful Washington, DC. Joined by Chris Mitchell. Chris, thanks for joining me. I wanted to break our conversation into kind of two parts, one on the industry insights and one on the advocacy. They're really important parts of what you do. And we were talking a little bit off-camera about feeling the industry is at this inflection point at the moment. So much changing, so much going on globally, so many different trends to balance. And it's really important that the industry has data. You've built this really impressive global data process and system. How important is it for you to keep those members and customers informed of what's going on in the industry? And how are you kind of building up that muscle?

Building A Global Intelligence Program

Chris Mitchell, Vice President of Global Government Relations, Global Electronics Association 0:59

Yeah. So I like that. I like that terminology, building up that muscle, because we are in the process of building, right? So although we take uh great pride in the data program that we've established to date, I think even more importantly, we're excited about the data program, the industry intelligence program that we're in the process of building. I think as you know from the last time we uh uh uh spoke at uh uh might have been in Apex last year, um, we were in the process of hiring. Yeah. And so we now have somebody leading our industry intelligence program in North America. We have hired somebody to lead our industry intelligence program in Europe. Yeah. We're in the process of hiring somebody in South Southeast Asia and also opening up a job description for East Asia. Okay. And so I think it speaks to the fact that we are um committed to not only a robust data program, but one that it truly is global. Right. And we know that with an industry as diverse and as large as ours, we need to be um not only doing this, um, not only building our own resources, we need to be identifying the right partners to be working with. And so we're we're doing that. Um yeah, I uh you know, again, to your point, so much is changing across the industry. And uh and we have members um who are very interested in understanding based upon the data that we have, based upon the insights that we are drawing, how can they gain um uh uh gain benefit from from that data? I'll just say this though. Um I think that in our industry there is a huge appetite for data. Yeah. Right? The challenge, of course, is um getting that data. Not everybody has a huge willingness to share data, even if they have an appetite for it. And then also uh from a from a um kind of operational perspective here within the association, how do we invest the how do we build and and continue to uh increase the investments that we're making in the data program? Understanding that that there are uh uh merely gathering data is not oftentimes sufficient to um or or compelling uh enough to then get some return on that on that on those investments. And so we're thinking a lot about um how do we structure this data, how do we set our own priorities on the uh in our in our research program, because ultimately I think what we find is that is that companies want research and they want data that helps them make business decisions. Yeah, and if we can provide that, uh then um you know then then we we get a very positive response. Yeah.

From Raw Data To Actionable Insight

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 3:54

Yeah, you're adding a huge amount of value to them if you do that. And you know, at the top of the conversation, I refer to it as industry insight. It's not industry data that people want, it's insight. So for me, I think we're in this really interesting point in the industry, but we're really uh at a very interesting point in terms of how data is manipulated, thanks to the ability to interrogate things with AI, that we can then take a huge amount of data, and as you say, your data's coming from multiple sources and interrogate that in different ways for the members. And my sense is that when I've spoken to members and people in the industry about data, they feel there's a lot of work for them to do after they get the data. If they're just getting reports that are pages and pages of numbers, what they want is either insights that reflect what they need to know in their business or the ability to actually prompt and ask and interrogate that. Is that something you're mindful as you're building this data model, that it's a robust database that can be interrogated in different ways and more often than just an annual report?

Quality, Integrity, And Member Needs

Chris Mitchell, Vice President of Global Government Relations, Global Electronics Association 5:03

Yeah, so so I make three points. The first is that um in terms of the data, I think oftentimes the perception is, well, especially in a in a in an era of artificial intelligence, all of this data is easily gotten. And I think what we find is that oftentimes um when we see reports um uh uh undertaken by others about our industry, oftentimes the underlying data is not always great, right? And so we need to make sure that we're always strengthening that the quality and integrity of our own data because we want to make sure that we can stand by by that uh data that we put out. That's number one. Number two is to your point, we need to make sure that we are orienting our data programs towards um uh towards helping our our members make business decisions. And then the third, to your point, uh is that we um we have our own understanding, we have our own understanding of what the industry is looking for, but it's far more powerful to be able to give industry the ability to manipulate this data in any way they think is is valuable to them. And so we are on that process. It you know uh uh we're always impatient. It'd be fantastic to have something like this out there now, yeah, but we are building towards that, and my expectation is that is that in the near future we'll be able to give companies the ability to manipulate this data so that they can drive their own kind of business insights.

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 6:35

Yeah, and I think it kind of builds in layers, doesn't it? When I look inside of um the Global Electronics Association, I look at the work that that people like Sean de Bravac do as chief economist, and you're getting that very big picture, and you're getting the picture of what's what's going on in outside in the industry, and then I look at the reports that I see from Christoph Solke, for example, in in Europe that are very detailed and very data-rich on what's going on in very specific markets. When you start to put that all together, you start to deliver it at Global Electronics Association events, you start to deliver it in a way that is tailored to very specific members' needs, it's a very powerful, it's a very powerful offering, but it's a very substantial add value to this larger ecosystem that is the Global Electronics Association.

Sector Views And Data Sliceability

Chris Mitchell, Vice President of Global Government Relations, Global Electronics Association 7:30

Yeah, I mean, uh as we have um uh worked with Dieter Weiss um uh to um assume greater control and management of the of the European data programs for EMS and PCB, right? It it is a um gives us a model for how we're doing this elsewhere around the world. But I think importantly, um we we need to make sure that we are thinking about these data programs in the context of, for example, specific uh market sectors, right? Yeah. Because when we talk to the automotive industry, they don't necessarily always want to understand what the total industry looks like. They want to understand what is the supply chain, what is the supply chain for the auto industry look like. And so again, I think being able to um, in ever more sophisticated ways, kind of slice and dice this data in ways that then companies can can gain insight from, that's the goal.

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 8:24

Yeah, it's huge, isn't it? And it really what I find absolutely fascinating is it does feed into every other element of what you do. And switching gears a little bit and thinking about the advocacy side of what the Global Electronics Association does, when you look at what government wants and what um politicians want, they want hard data to be able to support the opinions you're giving. If you're lobbying them, they're not gonna lobby based on I feel that this is this is the case. They want that data to support that. These things are really integrated, aren't they? Absolutely.

Chris Mitchell, Vice President of Global Government Relations, Global Electronics Association 8:56

And the reality is that um that government more often than not does not have the data that that policymakers feel like they need in order to make really smart decisions. Yeah. Right? And so I think that's where the the partnership with government comes in. We've we've um we've worked with government here in the United States to identify and and um and put a spotlight on some of the supply chain challenges. We've done the same thing in in Europe and elsewhere. So um so that's a really critical task. If we can't all agree on what the industry is challenged by, then how are we ever going to come to agreement on what the right policy solutions are?

Why Advocacy Needs Hard Numbers

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 9:40

Yeah. And you have to be that consistent voice. And that when I think about that consistent voice, what I've enjoyed very much over the last few years has been attending some of the events you've done in Europe, working with Allison James and people like that, but also understanding what you're doing here in the US. I see that you're doing similar things in India and other parts. So to actually be able to bring all that together, I mean, it's hard enough for the politicians to bring all that complex picture together, but to be able to bring all that together just gives you more value because actually some of your largest members, many of your members are global companies. They must see that fact that you're bringing that global picture together, but actually acting locally with local administration is hugely valuable.

Global Voice, Local Credibility

Chris Mitchell, Vice President of Global Government Relations, Global Electronics Association 10:26

Yeah. And you know, the reality is that we as an association have been on a journey in our advocacy program. Yeah, right. Um, we have had now for many decades an advocacy program, but but what we've seen over the last dozen dozen years or so under the leadership of John Mitchell is a far more um intentional, far more well-resourced effort to uh elevate the industry's voice, not just here in Washington, but in Brussels and in in um capitals across Asia. And so that's exciting. Um in doing that, um in we have, I would say, probably over the last you know five years or so, placed a huge emphasis on building our credibility around the world. And and oftentimes, like in Europe, for example, that's meant working very closely with European companies so that European policymakers understand that we are speaking for European companies. Um and that's really important in an environment like we're in right now, where there's a lot of geopolitical tensions and and and a huge desire among governments to um to shore up their own manufacturing bases. Yeah. Uh on the other hand, we represent, we do represent a global industry, global companies. And so we need to make sure that as we engage governments, we are also reflecting uh the concerns, the uh interests of those of those global companies. Yeah. And to me, that's that's uh uh we don't see that as a um as as a as a dichotomy or in conflict at all, right? Because the fact of the matter is I think these global companies, they too see that even as we safeguard global supply chains, we need to be taking more um concerted efforts to build up the domestic supply bases around the world, yeah, right.

Two Way Dialogue With Policymakers

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 12:26

Yeah, and I think it's what I think is interesting is it's actually a two-way communication. You're you're talking to those in Washington, those in Brussels about what is what is going on in the industry, what the industry needs, what the industry expects. But that's a two-way conversation. You're hearing from them what their priorities are, what they need from industry, what they have coming down the line, what their expectations are. It's challenging fast-moving times, but actually being able to communicate that back to your members is it does become part of that broader insights package that you're offering, doesn't it? So it's it's very much a two-way communication. Do you find a lot of your members are saying to you, we don't know what's coming next. Do you are you able to provide any insight? Or can you get us in the room with the right people?

Chris Mitchell, Vice President of Global Government Relations, Global Electronics Association 13:18

Yeah, uh, you know, it is it's an exciting time. Yeah. Let me put it that way, right? There's a lot that's happening. And quite frankly, I'm not sure that that anybody with any uh certainty can say what's gonna happen tomorrow, right? Um and so we're in a uh unique political environment uh right now. All that being said, uh there are certainly steps we're taking to keep our members kind of abreast of developments. Yeah. Um and and also to make sure that they are in the broom with people who are making decisions, right? And those meetings uh uh afford our members both the opportunity to convey their concerns, their needs, their policy ideas, but then in addition, get a better sense of well, what is how is government approaching these issues? And when they understand how government is approaching these issues, obviously it allows them to make business decisions with those um government inclinations in mind.

Positive Momentum In EMS And AI

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 14:24

Yeah, and with some confidence, even if it isn't with uncertainty, which is you know typical of the current market. I think what's interesting, and again, something we talked about off-camera before we started, is much as the world's very complicated, very dynamic, lots changing, and as an EMS company or as a participant in the electronic manufacturing supply chain, you have to be agile and um and flexible. But a lot of what we're seeing is positive for the industry. It does feel that as the industry is changing, it's actually a positive inflection point. We talked a bit about the EV market and um EMS companies getting a better share of that. We mentioned the AI market, which, you know, much as we're excited about using AI, we're even more excited about making it because there's lots of uh uh electronic manufacturing involved in that. It's it's an exciting time to be involved in electronics right now. And much as we've seen kind of a fairly steady trend over the last few years, it does feel that that that things are that things have got a lot of momentum and and a potential inflection point at the moment.

EMS As Strategic Innovation Drivers

Chris Mitchell, Vice President of Global Government Relations, Global Electronics Association 15:31

Yeah, certainly a lot of question marks, but a lot of excitement, a lot of uh a lot of momentum, um to use your words. The uh so I think that um especially for the EMS industry, you know, you're seen um uh as both governments but also um OEMs think about surge capabilities, um, think about risk mitigation, yeah. Um uh uh continue to have concerns around quality and reliability and yield and and um EMS, the EMS industry see makes a lot of sense in addressing some of these issues. And so uh we certainly see that, that the the EMS companies are um are uh while they have always played a really important role, yeah, it almost feels like they're poised to play uh a far an even far more important role in the future.

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 16:28

Yeah, and I think a more complex and more sophisticated role. I think one of the things that as you see those trends in the industry, you actually see trends within the EMS companies, they are becoming more and more sophisticated in the way they they offer service to their customers. I think the brands that have really embraced EMS have done incredibly well out of building complex partnerships that allow the EMS companies to really do the heavy lifting in terms of the manufacturing supply chain, whilst they can focus on having a much more dynamic product offering, being able to market their products and scale their product globally, being able to change their relationship with their customers. So that's been exciting to see as well. And you can only do that if you've got information to make good decisions where you are going to be globally. So it does, it goes back to the value that you add as an association and the way people, members use that data. So yeah, I think very exciting times.

Chris Mitchell, Vice President of Global Government Relations, Global Electronics Association 17:32

Well, and it's interesting, you know, the EMS and industry within our larger electronics industry is, you know, uh, I think it's well well, their role is well understood. But you start to get outside of our industry, and and the EMS industry is not really well appreciated. Yeah. And so I think that is um especially on the advocacy side where I see some of the greatest opportunity is in raising the profile of this industry so people understand that it is not just uh ancillary, it is not just this kind of passive receiver of orders and manufacturing what they're asked to do. Like they are uh true drivers for a lot of the innovation that we've seen and and not just on the technology side, but also just how um we're able to produce electronics at a at really competitive prices, yeah, but also at very, very high quality.

Closing Thoughts And Thanks

Philip Stoten, Journalist and Podcast Host 18:32

Yeah, absolutely. They're the glue that holds that entire ecosystem. And I think interestingly, uh as an association, you're the connector that brings all those different parts together. So really exciting times, Chris. Thanks so much for talking to me and thanks for your time.

Chris Mitchell, Vice President of Global Government Relations, Global Electronics Association 18:47

And I'm great to have you here in DC. Thank you so much. Thanks so much.