The inaugural Advanced Packaging International launched in Brussels as part of AngelTech 2026 - a new dedicated forum for the engineers, materials specialists, and systems architects defining the next phase of chip-level packaging. Part of an AngelTech week that welcomed over 800 attendees and a sold-out exhibition floor, the conference featured a packed first-edition programme of presentations and panel discussions covering heterogeneous integration, thermal management, materials, manufacturing, and the wider system-level implications of packaging innovation.
What set the debut apart was the demand for it. As the boundary between device and system continues to blur - driven by AI infrastructure, data centre densification, automotive, and high-performance computing - the industry needed a forum where packaging could be discussed on its own terms, alongside (rather than after) the device sessions. Co-located with CS International, PIC International, and Power Electronics International, AP delegates moved freely between sessions and exhibition stands to see how materials, devices, packaging, and systems now operate as one ecosystem.
But the real value of Advanced Packaging International is measured in conversations rather than counts. Three days under one roof with the engineers, founders, foundries, OSATs, and end-users defining the field - that's where partnerships form, business gets done, and the next wave of innovation takes root. The inaugural AP International delivered on that promise from day one, and the foundation is set for the editions to come.