Electronic Specifier has published its November 2026 issue. It is a landmark edition on two counts: it marks the title’s 20th anniversary, and it is the publication’s electronica special, timed for the show at Messe München from 10-13th November.
The issue looks back on how an independent, digital-first title earned its place in a market that was still committed to print and looks ahead to the technologies set to dominate this year’s show.
Twenty years at the heart of the electronics industry
At the centre of the issue is an anniversary feature in which Managing Editor Paige Hookway speaks to CEO Steve Regnier and COO Tim Anstee about how Electronic Specifier began, and how it has adapted since.
The story starts with an accidental decision. Steve and Tim were running Star Media, an advertising sales agency for electronics titles, when one of their early digital partnerships came to an end. Rather than represent another title, they chose to build their own. “The agreement was, we’ll do it ourselves. How difficult can it be?” Steve recalls.
Winning over advertisers who were wary of digital was a hard sell. Electronic Specifier‘s edge was transparency, with monthly reports of real impressions and click-throughs at a time when print still relied on posted “bingo cards”. Early supporters included National Instruments, Microchip Technology, Analog Devices and XP Power, with DigiKey, Mouser, Farnell, and RS Components following.
The feature also covers the title’s unbroken run at electronica since 2008, an editorial team that has grown from one person to five, and how AI is changing the way readers find trade media. Both founders believe independent, human-verified editorial will only become more valuable as AI-generated content spreads.
electronica 2026 in focus
The issue’s show preview explores this year’s theme, ‘Empowering the All-Electric Society’, and its three focus topics of AI, energy efficiency, and cyber resilience. Around 3,500 exhibitors from some 60 countries are expected across all 18 halls.
It also previews Electronic Specifier‘s own programme at the show:
- Electronics Excellence Awards – shortlisted entries across the Power, Test & Measurement, Software, and Semiconductor Product categories. Winners will be announced on Tuesday 10th November at 12.30pm on the Future Tech Stage in Hall C6
- Women in Tech Forum – on Wednesday 11th November from 9am on the same stage, featuring a keynote from Jackie Mattox, CEO of WE United, and a panel moderated by Paige Hookway
- Booth B4.570 – where visitors can pick up the latest issues, meet the team, and enter the booth prize draws
Also in this issue
Technical contributions from across the industry include:
- Analog Devices on minimising noise in high-current applications with µModule regulators
- DigiKey on building a connected motion control system, from controller to terminal
- Keysight on HDMI 2.2 physical layer compliance testing
- Microchip on moving AI from digital outcomes to physical interaction
- Renesas on how CUCKOO used Reality AI to build an induction range that prevents boil-overs
- Rutronik and Vishay on top-side cooling for MOSFETs
- Solsta on choosing between a SOM, an SBC, and a discrete design
- Texas Instruments on realising 5G potential through mMIMO and precise beamforming
- Toshiba on the data transfer rates hard drives actually deliver
Paige Hookway, Managing Editor, said: “Twenty years ago, Steve and Tim bet on digital when the industry was still wedded to print. That same instinct to adapt has kept us at the heart of the industry ever since. It feels fitting to celebrate the milestone at electronica, a show we haven’t missed since 2008. Come and see us at B4.570 to pick up a copy and celebrate with us.”
