How to act to stay ahead with the drastic shift in the PCB market

sponsoredMARKET TRENDS How to act to stay ahead with the drastic shift in the PCB market

2026-04-16 1 min Reading Time

Sponsored by

The surging demand for PCBs continues and is expected to put further pressure on the supply chain. This is primarily driven by the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI), expanding data center infrastructure, and continued volatility in the commodities market.

Higher material prices impact global logistics.(Source: © MAGNIFIER - stock.adobe.com) — Higher material prices impact global logistics.
(Source: © MAGNIFIER - stock.adobe.com)

NCAB reports ongoing price increases for gold, copper foil and copper-clad laminate. Since December 2025, gold prices have risen by approximately 20%, while laminate prices have increased by about 15–20%. The development of market prices remains tense and is expected to further intensify in 2026.

These developments are driven not only by cost dynamics but also by material availability. High grade materials required for advanced applications are currently in short supply. Growing demand in this segment is limiting production capacity and leading to longer lead times. This situation contributes to additional price pressure and affects the availability of materials for standard and mid technology applications.

The NCAB PCB Supply Chain Outlook outlines the macroeconomic factors influencing these trends and provides guidance for procurement leaders on securing material supply and managing costs in an increasingly supplier driven market: https://www.ncabgroup.com/pcb-supply-chain-outlook/#download

The report is updated quarterly; the February 2026 edition is now available for download.

Follow us on LinkedIn

Have you enjoyed reading this article? Then follow us on LinkedIn and stay up-to-date with daily posts about the latest developments on the industry, products and applications, tools and software as well as research and development.

(ID:50815153)

Subscribe to the newsletter now

Don't Miss out on Our Best Content

Business E-mail

Please enter a valid mailadress.

By clicking on „Subscribe to Newsletter“ I agree to the processing and use of my data according to the consent form (please expand for details) and accept the Terms of Use. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy.

Declaration of consent

It goes without saying that we treat your personal data responsibly. Where we collect personal data from you, we process the data in compliance with the relevant data protection regulations. More detailed information is available in our privacy policy.

Consent to the use of data for advertising purposes

I consent to the use of my email address to send editorial newsletters by Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH, Rotebühlstr. 83-85, 70178 Stuttgart, Germany including all of its affiliates within the meaning of Section 15 et seq. AktG (‘Mesago’). I have viewed lists of each group of affiliates here for the Mesago.
The content of the newsletter covers the products and services of all of the companies listed above including, for example, trade magazines and specialist books, events and exhibitions and event-related products and services, printed and digital media products and services such as additional (editorial) newsletters, competitions, lead campaigns, online and offline market research, technical web portals and e-learning courses. If my personal telephone number has also been collected, it may be used to send offers for the aforementioned products and services from the above companies, as well as for market research purposes.
If I wish to access protected content online on portals of Mesago including its affiliates within the meaning of Section 15 et seq. AktG, I must register with additional data in order to access that content. In return for this free access to editorial content, my data may be used in line with this declaration of consent for the purposes described herein.

Right to withdraw consent

I am aware that I can withdraw this consent at any time with future effect. My withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing performed based on my consent before its withdrawal. If I wish to withdraw my consent, I can send an email to Mesago at privacy@mesago.com. If I no longer wish to receive individual newsletters to which I have subscribed, I can also click on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of a newsletter. I can find more information on my right to withdraw, how to exercise this right and the consequences of my withdrawal in the Privacy policy Editorial newsletters section.