KPCA Show 2026 Opens in Incheon: 229 Companies, 895 Booths Spotlight PCB and Advanced Packaging Convergence

Reviewed by AtlasPCB Engineering Team

The 23rd International Semiconductor Circuits and Advanced Packaging Show (KPCA Show 2026) opens today at Songdo Convensia in Incheon, South Korea, running from September 9 through September 11. The exhibition brings together 229 domestic and international companies across 895 booths, making it one of Asia’s largest dedicated events for the PCB, semiconductor substrate, and advanced packaging industries.

Major Korean Manufacturers Lead the Exhibition Floor

The exhibitor roster features several of Korea’s most significant electronics component manufacturers. LG Innotek, which produces HDI and IC substrate boards for major smartphone and automotive platforms, will showcase its latest substrate technologies. Samsung Electro-Mechanics, a leading manufacturer of multilayer ceramic capacitors and IC substrates, returns as a major exhibitor. Simmtech, one of Korea’s largest independent IC substrate manufacturers, and Hana Micron, a specialist in semiconductor packaging and test services, round out the headlining participants alongside STATS ChipPAC Korea.

The presence of both PCB fabricators and semiconductor packaging companies at the same exhibition reflects the accelerating convergence between these two industries. As chip packaging moves toward advanced heterogeneous integration — chiplets, 2.5D interposers, fan-out wafer-level packaging, and hybrid bonding — the substrate technologies bridging the semiconductor die and the system-level PCB have become the critical link in the electronics supply chain.

Exhibition Pavilions Span the Full Electronics Manufacturing Stack

The exhibition floor is organized into six thematic pavilions that collectively cover the entire manufacturing chain from raw materials to finished inspection.

The PCB Industry Pavilion occupies the largest floor space, featuring fabricators, equipment manufacturers, and materials suppliers serving the conventional and high-density interconnect PCB markets. The Semiconductor Packaging New Technology Pavilion focuses on advanced substrate technologies, flip-chip bonding, and wafer-level packaging equipment that represent the frontier of miniaturization and performance.

The Plating and Surface Treatment New Technology Pavilion addresses the critical chemistry and process technologies that determine interconnect reliability — copper electroplating, surface finish application, and specialized treatment processes. The High-Tech Reliability Equipment and Clean System Pavilion features inspection, testing, and environmental control systems used in both PCB fabrication and semiconductor packaging cleanrooms.

Two newer pavilions reflect the broadening scope of the exhibition. The Automotive System Pavilion addresses the growing demand for automotive-grade PCBs and substrates driven by vehicle electrification and autonomous driving sensor suites. The Motion and Collaborative Robot Industry Pavilion showcases the automation technologies that PCB and packaging manufacturers are deploying to address labor constraints and process precision requirements.

Technical Program Addresses Industry’s Most Pressing Challenges

Beyond the exhibition floor, the three-day event includes international symposiums, corporate technical seminars, and advanced technology presentations. These sessions provide a forum for industry experts from Korea and abroad to discuss the technological roadmap and supply chain dynamics shaping the PCB and packaging sectors.

The technical program’s focus areas align closely with the challenges the global electronics industry faces in 2026. AI infrastructure buildout continues to drive unprecedented demand for high-layer-count, high-frequency PCB substrates and advanced IC packaging. Material supply constraints — particularly for high-grade laminates, copper foils, and fiberglass fabrics — remain a persistent concern across the industry, as documented in recent analyses from STARTEAM Global and Wurth Elektronik.

Korea holds a strategically important position in these discussions. The country hosts major semiconductor manufacturers, leading IC substrate producers, and a mature PCB fabrication sector that serves both domestic electronics companies and global supply chains. Incheon Mayor Park Chan-dae noted that semiconductors represent the city’s largest export category, underscoring the direct economic significance of the industries represented at the show.

What the KPCA Show Signals for the Global PCB Industry

The scale and composition of this year’s exhibition provides useful signal about where the PCB and packaging industries are heading. The growth in semiconductor packaging exhibitors relative to traditional PCB companies confirms the ongoing technology convergence that is redefining what it means to be a circuit board manufacturer. Companies that once operated exclusively in the PCB domain are developing substrate capabilities, while semiconductor packaging houses are adopting PCB fabrication techniques for their larger-format substrates.

For hardware engineers evaluating manufacturing partners, the KPCA Show exhibitor mix illustrates the expanding range of capabilities required from modern PCB suppliers. The ability to fabricate boards at the traditional level remains necessary but is no longer sufficient for the most demanding applications. Understanding advanced packaging substrate requirements, material behavior at higher frequencies, and the reliability implications of finer geometries are becoming table-stakes competencies.

The exhibition runs through September 11. Engineers and procurement professionals who cannot attend in person can monitor the technical developments through the Korea Semiconductor Packaging and Circuits Association (KPCA) post-event publications and the various industry media outlets providing coverage from the exhibition floor.