Innovators in Electronic Design - Trailblazer: Martin Schneider, CTO, STARTEAM GLOBAL

Martin Schneider, a precision mechanic, began his professional career in 1983 at Siemens in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Martin started his career in printed-circuit-board (PCB) manufacturing at Siemens in Karlsruhe, Germany in 1983. Due to the increasing demand for electronics within the Siemens Group, production was expanded and modernized.

Martin went through all production processes, got to know every area of production, and at the end of the 1980s, began to significantly increase the production of internal layers as well as produce high-layer PCBs.

In addition to his work as a production manager, Martin continued his education as a technical business economist. In the 1990s, Siemens introduced SIMOV technology to PCB production in Karlsruhe and invested heavily in state-of-the-art production facilities for HDI production.

Martin took over the entire area of inner-layer production and significantly contributed to the successful implementation of these technologies.

In the 1990s, the electronics industry began massively shifting the production of PCBs to Asia. As a result, it became increasingly difficult for production in Karlsruhe to remain competitive.

Siemens spun off PCB manufacturing in the late 1990s and sold it proportionately to Sanmina, resulting in a complete sale in the early 2000s.

Martin was appointed production manager of the Karlsruhe site and set himself the goal of driving productivity increases, reducing cost, and producing special technologies.

In 2007, after over two decades at Siemens and Sanmina, Martin moved to CML, where he took over the Technology and Quality division.

In the early years, he spent most of his time in China, expanding the supplier portfolio, establishing effective supplier management, and building engineering and quality departments.

Martin focused on the introduction of automotive standards methods to improve quality and increase productivity. In 2016, Martin was offered the position of Sales Director, and in the following years he led the sales team. Together with his colleagues, he expanded the customer portfolio in Europe.

In 2018, STARTEAM GLOBAL, formerly CML, took over its first production plant in China and then gradually expanded its production capacity.

At that moment, STARTEAM GLOBAL needed Martin's production experience to align the newly acquired plant in Sichuan, China. Subsequently, he took over the global Technology division, and in the following years, he was able to contribute and implement his valuable experience in the production of PCBs.

Over the years, the company has successively expanded its production capacity and prepared for the introduction of further applications such as metal substrates, PCBs, and high-voltage applications.

The engineers and technicians of his department intensified the cooperation with the development departments, thus helping STARTEAM GLOBAL's customers to develop their new products much faster and more cost-effectively.

STARTEAM GLOBAL recently unveiled a new PCB manufacturing plant in the thriving industrial zone of Pranchinburi, Thailand on September 27, 2023. This additional facility complements the company's existing factory in China as part of its China+1 strategy.

With a focus on the next 2-4 years, Martin is committed to substantially increasing production capabilities in both factories while also expanding their expertise to include high-layer PCBs, high-frequency PCBs, and HDI PCBs, enriching the company’s diverse array of offerings.