MANUFACTURING DATA REPORTS
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in August for the eighth straight month, says the latest ISM® Manufacturing PMI® Report.
The computer and electronic products sector, and the electrical equipment, appliances & components sector, both reported growth. Read the full report.
INDUSTRY NEWS
> Happy birthday, perhaps!? September 9 is the most common birthdate of the whole year, according to statistics organization FiveThirtyEight. Read more.
> Electronics distributor Avnet has moved into its new corporate headquarters in Tempe, Ariz., completing a relocation the company announced last year. Read more.
> Thinking about selling your firm or business soon? Knowing your business’s true worth empowers strategic decisions and confident negotiations, so here are some tips to getting to your appropriate business valuation. Read more.
ERA NEWS
> REGISTRATION DEADLINE APPROACHING!
STEP 2026 takes place in less than 3 weeks! Register today and don’t miss these dynamic sales training sessions (presented live and virtually), presented by a mix of professional trainers and industry heavyweights.
ERA members, receive $100 off your registration fee! All attendees receive lifetime access to all session recordings. Take a “step” up in your career with us — all in the comfort of your office or home!
> Join ERA for its annual Chapter Officer Leadership Training (COLT) program on Dec. 1-3! Sign up today.
Open to all ERA chapter leaders and potential leaders, COLT is a fun and collaborative virtual training session, focused on effective chapter management and planning tactics. Attendees can expect to gain creative ideas and practical knowledge about member recruitment, hosting events and organizing educational sessions. If you are already in an active chapter leadership role or are interested in pursuing one, talk to your board about attending this valuable training program where you can learn from other chapter leaders.
We hope to see you there!
> Our next ERA LIVE will take place Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 4:00 pm ET! Heading to Munich for electronica 2026, or considering it for the future? Join a panel of seasoned electronica veterans as they share the exact strategies they’ve built over decades of attending, including transportation hacks, navigating Munich, structuring a daily schedule and getting business value out of the show.
No registration required. View more details and log-in information.
CHAPTER EVENTS & NEWS
Please submit your chapter news and announcements for the Fall Representor magazine!
- Carolinas ERA — Virtual Lunch — Friday, Sept. 11
- Arizona ERA — 5th Annual Golf Event — Thurs., Sept. 30
- New England ERA — 6th Annual Golf Event — Thurs. Oct. 1
- Carolinas ERA — Golf Event — Thurs., Oct. 8
- Mid-Lantic ERA — Networking Event — Wed., Oct. 14
- New England ERA — Networking Dinner with Speaker Chris Lins — Wed., Nov. 4
ELECTRONICA
electronica 2026: Focus shifts to cyber resilience in electronics development
Industrial systems, vehicles and energy systems are increasingly becoming software-controlled, networked electronic systems. Security can no longer be treated as an afterthought. It must be integrated into the system design from the outset, particularly when it comes to interfaces, software updates and software-defined functions. At the same time, customers, regulators and operators demand robust evidence that electronic systems are secure and can be reliably updated throughout their lifecycle. Cyber resilience is therefore becoming a key factor for trust, availability and market success. electronica 2026 in Munich, from November 10 to 13, will showcase the technologies that are essential for this.
“As the world’s leading electronics trade fair, electronica brings together key players from across the entire value chain. In doing so, it creates a framework for addressing cybersecurity not in isolation, but as a shared architectural challenge for the electronics industry”, explains Exhibition Director Caroline Pannier.
Studies show growing pressure to act
Recent studies show how important an issue this is. The ENISA Threat Landscape 2025 report, for example, identifies attacks on public administration and the transport sector as the most common targets of cyberattacks, with phishing being the most frequently used method. In many cases, hackers target companies’ operational technology.
Increasing regulation of cybersecurity
To encourage companies to take action and integrate security into products from the outset, the European Union has enacted the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). It specifically regulates products that companies place on the European market. Among other things, it requires that products with digital components remain secure throughout their expected service life and address vulnerabilities throughout their lifecycle. It covers a wide range of electronic products, not just internet-enabled devices, but essentially all products with a direct or indirect logical or physical connection to a device or network.
Effectively countering cyberattacks
As a result, the CRA makes security a key development requirement. At the same time, AI-based systems give rise to new risks: data poisoning, model poisoning and adversarial attacks can manipulate AI models and lead to incorrect decisions. Developers are responding to this with “security by design”—that is, with security mechanisms integrated from the outset into the architecture, secure firmware, and verifiable updates. At the component level, this includes a hardware root of trust, Secure Boot, and Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs). Secure microcontrollers (MCUs) implement security functions directly within the device, ensuring, for example, that only authenticated firmware or signed code is executed during system startup.
electronica as a platform for resilient electronics
At electronica 2026, exhibitors such as Infineon, Renesas and Texas Instruments will showcase security solutions for resilient connected electronics, including secure microcontrollers, key storage, Secure Boot and hardware-based protection. The supporting program will address cyber resilience through the Cyber Security Forum and sessions on the Cyber Resilience Act. Experts will provide practical insights into technologies, strategies and regulatory requirements, helping developers, decision-makers and CEOs strengthen their products and companies againstcyberattacks.
For further information, visit electronica.de/en.
