March 2026 Connector Industry News

Upcoming industry events, as well as recent award, partnership, promotion, personnel, facility, distribution, standards, association, and certification news from across the connector industry.

March 2026 Connector Industry News

March 2026 Connector Industry News > Partnership and Distribution News

Würth Elektronik launched its new partner program with a kick-off event held at Texas Instruments, the program’s first Premium Partner. The three-tier model provides clearly structured support to participating companies across four levels. Entry is possible with just a non-disclosure agreement, a brand license, and a business model. Based on clearly defined criteria—such as brand commitment, shared growth objectives, and the integration of Würth Elektronik components into their own designs—participating companies can then progressively advance from Entry Level through Silver to Premium Partner status. A dedicated service and support program based on the three partnership tiers consists of four pillars: technical support, products and tools, marketing support, and knowledge transfer and training. This creates a high-performance network that brings together technology leaders, business units, and stakeholders. Partners can unlock new market potential, accelerate product innovation, and offer their customers a seamless one-stop-shop concept.

Waldom announced the availability of WAGO products through its expanding authorized line card, with more than 1,600 SKUs currently in stock and additional items planned for future release. WAGO is a global leader in electrical interconnection and automation technology, recognized for innovative and reliable solutions used across industrial and building applications. Waldom’s offering includes terminal blocks, PCB connectors, power supplies, and I/O and automation products, providing distributors with immediate access to trusted interconnection technologies. By adding WAGO to its portfolio, Waldom continues to strengthen its commitment to supporting distribution partners with high-quality inventory, flexible supply options, and reduced lead times. All available WAGO products are ready for immediate shipment.

March 2026 Connector Industry News > New Technical Resources

Mouser Electronics, Inc. provides engineers with the latest information in its extensive edge computing resource center. Reshaping how digital intelligence interacts with the physical world, edge computing moves computation closer to where data is created and away from cloud-first architectures. Driven by the need for low latency and reliable operation during connectivity disruptions, processing data locally rather than in the cloud enables real-time applications directly on the device. As these systems scale, blockchain technologies are emerging as a critical trust layer at the edge, providing secure device identities, tamper-evident data logging, decentralized coordination, and authenticated firmware updates. Edge intelligence also underpins ambient computing, seamlessly blending technology into everyday life. In real-world applications, edge AI combined with cellular IoT and machine vision can deliver timely local interventions, such as pest detection and crop monitoring in agriculture. Overall, edge computing transforms devices from passive data collectors into autonomous, intelligent systems capable of operating reliably at scale. Mouser’s technical team and trusted manufacturing partners tailor the content to provide a source of articles, blogs, eBooks, and new products for edge computing from top manufacturers. Mouser also published a new eBook, 8 Experts on PCIe® for Emerging Embedded Systems in collaboration with Microchip Technology and Samtec.

Harwin launched an online 3D virtual showroom for its high-reliability product ranges (HRi). It is designed to improve how customers discover, explore, and engage with Harwin and its products, helping engineers better visualize and evaluate connectors and cable assemblies for key application areas. The virtual showroom includes a built-in augmented reality (AR) viewer that enables users to view products up close and gain insight on their form, scale, and design. The service has been developed as a highly visual, interactive aid to support customers in the early stages of the design cycle. By presenting products within a navigable 3D environment, customers can view products from multiple angles and access supporting resources, such as datasheets and sample ordering, before moving to detailed evaluation. In addition to product exploration, the showroom includes key market application areas that demonstrate real-world use cases for Harwin products. Customers can order samples directly through the platform, access product datasheets, and follow links to Harwin’s website for full technical documentation. Harwin’s continued investment in digital tools supports engineers throughout the product selection and design journey. Other such tools include Harwin’s cable configurator tool, distribution stock check, and 3D CAD model viewers.

March 2026 Connector Industry News > Association, Standards, & Certifications News

ECIA issued an Industry Alert from its Global Industry Practices Committee (GIPC) experts to update members on Minnesota’s PFAS law—often called “Amara’s Law” (Minn. Stat. § 116.943). This regulation, which goes into effect in July 2026, concerns PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which are a large family of synthetic chemicals used since the 1940s in products that need to resist water, grease, stains, or heat—things like nonstick cookware, food packaging, textiles, firefighting foams, and many industrial applications. Their carbon fluorine bonds are extremely strong, so they do not break down easily in the environment, which is why they are often called “forever chemicals.” “Any company that has intentionally added PFAS in products, in other words, manufacturers, importers, and in some cases distributors, must report each product or component sold, offered for sale, or distributed in Minnesota that contains these chemicals,” explained Christine Wolnik, ECIA’s vice president of industry practices. “The first comprehensive reports are due in July 2026, and annual reporting will be required after that. PFAS chemicals are harmful and their persistence plus growing scientific concern is driving aggressive new regulations, liability risks, and customer scrutiny.” View the complete ECIA Industry Alert.

The MIPI Alliance announced major updates to two of its foundational specifications. MIPI UniPro v3.0 and MIPI M-PHY v6.0 offer significant performance, latency, and power-efficiency improvements for next-generation JEDEC Universal Flash Storage (UFS 5.0) solutions to support greater edge AI workloads in smartphones, tablets, PCs, gaming consoles, automotive, and industrial applications. A MIPI and JEDEC joint webinar will provide an overview of the latest versions of the specifications and discuss how the powerful combination of UFS, UniPro, and M-PHY enable state-of-the-art flash storage applications. “The Evolution of UFS: Leveraging M-PHY v6.0 and UniPro v3.0 for Next-Generation Performance, Power Efficiency and Reliability” is March 31, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. EDT/8:00 a.m. PDT.

March 2026 Connector Industry News > Personnel & Acquisitions News

Element Solutions Inc (ESI) announced the completion of its acquisition of the Micromax conductive pastes and inks business, effective February 2, 2026. Micromax will operate within MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, part of ESI’s electronics segment. The acquisition strengthens ESI’s position as a global supplier of specialized electronic materials serving the electronics design and manufacturing industry. By combining Micromax’s expertise in conductive pastes, inks, and ceramic materials with MacDermid Alpha’s broad electronics materials portfolio, ESI expands its ability to support innovation across advanced and high-reliability electronics applications.

Like this article? Check out our other Product Roundup, Product News, and Connector Industry News features and our 2025 and 2026 Article Archives Article Archives.

Subscribe to our weekly e-newsletters, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, and check out our eBook archives for more applicable, expert-informed connectivity content.