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ISHM invites papers for the above Conference, to be held on 29–31 May 1991 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Papers should cover areas such as: design, manufacturing, packaging and interconnection, materials and processing, applications, reliability, components, new technologies, marketing and economics, optoelectronics. Summaries should be in English, length 200–300 words. The deadline for receipt of summaries is 30 September 1990. (For full details, see announcement on pp. 54–55.)

Attenuation characteristics of microstrip transmission lines on alumina substrates up to 50GHz are discussed. The lines under test came from three different manufacturers, each of whom used different processes to realise the transmission lines. Two of the manufacturers used silver (Ag) paste, whereas the process of one of the manufacturers was copper (Cu) based. Each manufacturer used identical alumina substrates and identical test pattern files so that the measured attenuation properties reflected manufacturer’s capability to fabricate microstrips and the quality of the metal system used. Measurements showed that the attenuation of copper microstrips was slightly lower than that of the silver microstrips, but the difference was small. Measured attenuation (S21) of about 50Ω microstrips was approximately 0.5db/cm at 30GHz and 0.8dB/cm at 50GHz, respectively. The loss coefficient, α_t, of about 0.035dB/mm at 40GHz was obtained for the Cu microstrips. Such an attenuation is reasonable for many practical applications in the microwave and millimetre wave regions.

This event, the first sponsored by ISHM, takes place in Pardubice on the 19–20 November 1991. Pardubice is a town of some 100,000 inhabitants about 60 miles east of Prague. A welcome is extended to all ISHM Chapter members.

The conventional wisdom in economics is that resources are limited, wants are unlimited, and the business of the economist is to understand how limited resources are allocated to satisfy unlimited wants. Typically, poverty or unmet physical need is addressed apart from consumer behaviour. It was not always so. Adam Smith, Alfred Marshall, and Paul Samuelson as recently as 35 years ago, for example, were explicit about the direct linkage between needs and wants. The changes that have taken place over the years are attributable to a shift away from an Aristotelian perspective on the nature of economic studies towards the Enlightenment view. Challenges the conventional wisdom that wants are virtually unlimited, resources are limited, and poverty is best addressed apart from wants. Presents need fulfilment alongside want satisfaction in the context of the principle of subsidiarity which helps define the role of the state in provisioning unmet need.

‘Soldering and Cleaning in Electronics’ international conference, including an exposition, took place in Brno on 12–13 October 1993. The conference was organised by SMT‐Info, together with the ISHM‐Czech and Slovak Chapter. The purpose of this common action was to bring together the professionals in surface mount technology and thick film technology. In the framework of the conference, in which 130 home and foreign delegates participated, the annual meeting of the ISHM‐Czech and Slovak Chapter took place.

Dates: 23–24 March 1994 Venue: Palais des Congrès, Porte Maillot, Paris The Fifth Microelectronics Salon (Hybrids, SMT, ASICs, Packaging) will take place on the above dates. This showcase for manufacturers, suppliers of products and equipment, and sub‐contractors to all sectors of these industries will be accompanied by a series of conferences.

Following the discussion at our recent Annual General Meeting, a questionnaire was sent out to all members. Almost half of them replied despite the fact that the time allowed for returning the questionnaire had been kept very short. Some members even provided detailed comments.