ORLANDO, FL (December 19, 2025) – The premier technical conference and product exhibition for the world’s semiconductor packaging industry, the IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC), has announced a Student Innovation Challenge for ECTC 2026, the conference’s 76th anniversary. Six winning student teams will have the opportunity to attend ECTC 2026 with financial assistance, including travel costs up to a specified amount.
More than 2,000 scientists, engineers and businesspeople from more than 20 countries are expected to attend the 76th annual ECTC, which will take place May 26-29, 2026, at the JW Marriott & Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando, FL.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for students to have a platform to showcase innovative technical skills to packaging experts from industry and academia, through competition with other student teams from around the world,:said Przemyslaw Gromala, ECTC 2026 Vice General Chair and Sr. Expert & Simulation Team Leader at Robert Bosch GmbH. “The finalist student teams gain exposure to the conference’s state-of-the-art technical program and packaging experts; networking with potential employers, including potential internships; and will have the opportunity for their work to be published in the highly regarded technical journal, IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology.”
The 2026 ECTC Executive Committee is inviting teams of up to three students – eligible participants should be currently enrolled in a undergraduate (BSc) / master’s (MSc) program, or doctoral (PhD) candidates from any university. Interested student teams must pre-register by December 31, 2025 for one of the following three pre-defined challenges, each one dealing with a critical aspect of simulation and reliability in electronic packaging.
For BSc and MSc students
• Low-cost Robust Thermal Solution for High Power AI/Datacenter Processor
For PhD students
• Materials, Interfaces, & Processes for Ultra-Scalable Interconnects
• Electromigration Solutions for BGA Interconnects in AI-Focused Packages
On January 19, 2026, teams must submit reports with their results and findings for the award and the organizing committee will announce six teams selected for the finalist round of the competition on February 16, 2026. These teams will have until May 15, 2026 to finalize their work and submit their presentations.
For more information about the student competition
Please visit: https://ectc.net/ectc-
Follow ECTC on social media
- Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/
38916807@N07/albums/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/
groups/1916290/
About ECTC, EPS & IEEE
The ECTC technical program addresses new developments, trends and applications for a broad range of topics, including components, materials, assembly, reliability, modeling, interconnect design and technology, device and system packaging, heterogeneous integration, wafer level packaging, photonics and optoelectronics, IoT, 5G, quantum computing and systems, 2.5D and 3D integration technology, and other emerging technologies relevant to electronics packaging.
The IEEE’s Electronics Packaging Society (EPS) sponsors ECTC. EPS is the leading international forum for scientists and engineers engaged in research, design and development of revolutionary advances in microsystems packaging and manufacturing. It encompasses all aspects of packaging and integration of electrical, electronic, optoelectronic, biological, micromechanical and sensing components.
IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications, to biomedical engineering, electric power, and consumer electronics.
