NextFlex News – November 2025

Dear friends and colleagues:

Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) are poised to reshape the landscape of hybrid electronics technology and manufacturing, enable the development of smarter edge devices, accelerate the design process, improve process control, and increase system intelligence. NextFlex is leading the hybrid electronics community’s evolution in these areas.

Earlier this year, NextFlex held its AI for Hybrid Electronics Workshop in Boston, convening thought leaders from across the industrial base to discuss how AI and ML are transforming every aspect of the field and how they will continue to revolutionize the value chain. The workshop focused on breakouts in the areas of “design to deployment,” and “materials, process, and manufacturing.” The meeting explored topics such as how AI/ML tools can accelerate circuit layout generation—including for complex 3D and conformal designs—optimize material selection and process parameters and enable real-time in situ monitoring with closed-loop control to improve yield and consistency. In addition, the integration of AI/ML into devices allows for local decision-making, predictive maintenance, dynamic system calibration, empowering responsive, autonomous operation at the point of use and supply chain logistics optimization.

From smarter circuit layout and toolpath optimization to predictive maintenance and real-time closed-loop control, the workshop highlighted both promising applications and the roadblocks we must overcome together—like data interoperability, workforce readiness, and IP protection.

NextFlex is building on this momentum and expanding its national leadership through two critical new initiatives: an AI for Hybrid Electronics Webinar Series and the development of a new AI Roadmap for Hybrid Electronics. The webinar series will address the clear call from the community for collecting and sharing information on capabilities, opportunities, and activities in this exciting area. Throughout the series, webinars will discuss everything from product capabilities to research concepts, materials development to product testing, and design to manufacturing. The webinars are meant to explore, inform, and inspire.

At the introductory webinar on October 29, Drs. Scott Miller and Nick Morris unpacked the key takeaways from the AI Workshop and shared how NextFlex is advancing AI adoption in hybrid electronics through upcoming initiatives and industry engagement. You can watch the webinar recording and view the slides here.

The next webinar, Accelerating Hybrid Electronics R&D with AI Automation, was presented by Object Tech. Hybrid Electronics development demands precision across materials, printing, and process control — yet traditional methods rely heavily on conventional manual and automated inspection and experimental optimization. In the webinar, Dr. Jiaojiao Li, Co-Founder & CPO of Object, introduced how Agentic AI tools can intelligently automate critical steps in R&D, from defect inspection and classification to critical dimension (CD) metrology, anomaly detection, experiment optimization, and property prediction. Dr. Li shared how domain-specific AI tools, models and agents can help scientists and engineers predict outcomes, identify defects faster, and optimize processes in real time. Attendees gained insight into the next generation of AI-powered R&D workflows and how these tools can potentially transform productivity and reliability across the hybrid electronics ecosystem. You can view the recording here.

The next webinar in the series will be presented by Dr. Pradeep Lall, MacFarlane Distinguished Professor at Auburn University, who will discuss “AI Opportunities in Electronics Manufacturing and Reliability” on December 3. You can register for the webinar here.  Additional webinars will be announced soon.

Simultaneous with the webinar series, NextFlex is taking up the development of an AI Roadmap for Hybrid Electronics, which will complement our annual roadmaps for hybrid electronics that are aligned to the Institute’s 11 technical working groups (TWGs). The new AI Roadmap will crosscut the TWGs and explore a breadth of technical domains within the field. Participation of both NextFlex members and non-members is sought for the roadmap development. The roadmap is intended to inspire and influence future project activities, support potential funding opportunities, and open new possibilities.

I hope you’ll join us for our upcoming webinars and roadmap development. These discussions are critical for the future of the hybrid electronics industry.

Sincerely,

Dan Gamota, Ph.D.
NextFlex Executive Director