Innovation thrives on technology and talent—a principle that shaped our second annual Leadership Summit for Advanced Packaging held in Phoenix, Arizona. At the heart of the event was the Leaders Roundtable, where visionaries from across the semiconductor ecosystem gathered to share bold approaches for the future. These discussions centered on two themes driving the industry forward: Collaboration Across Boundaries and Workforce Development. I’m excited to share our report highlighting the key insights that will help turn vision into reality in 2026.

Collaboration & Integration: Breaking Down Silos

Traditionally, semiconductor companies kept their roadmaps under wraps to protect competitive advantage. But advanced packaging has changed the game, demanding an unprecedented level of integration that no single organization can tackle alone. Recognizing this, Dan Hutcheson, Vice Chair and Senior Research Fellow at TechInsights Inc., facilitated a roundtable on how collaboration can fuel the next wave of progress and why transparency, even among competitors, creates value for all.

“Success comes from the ability to partner broadly while maintaining deep expertise in some areas and a broad understanding of how your work impacts others.”
— Glenn Daves, Senior Vice President of Package Innovation, NXP Semiconductors

Participants agreed that collaboration must span both vertically and horizontally—connecting every layer of the value chain and bridging companies and disciplines. The discussion examined strategies for driving multi-party alliances, early co-development, and shared risk/reward models that make ambitious investments possible:

• Establish Governance Models: Create clear frameworks that define roles, responsibilities, and secure IP-sharing protocols for collaborative innovation.
• Align Technology Roadmaps: Synchronize multi-party plans in pre-competitive domains to anticipate needs and accelerate investment. Promote adaptable standards—such as UCIe—to balance interoperability with differentiation.
• Develop Shared Platforms: Harness neutral environments like industry consortia and academic institutes to co-create reference designs, reliability vehicles, and standardized test methodologies.

Ideas from this roundtable are already driving the next chapter of Applied’s EPIC Advanced Packaging strategy. Our global co-innovation labs offer secure early access to breakthrough materials and tools, uniting key players across development stages to speed commercialization of advanced packaging technologies.