“Leaders” is a term we use often, and in many contexts. Human society is, by and large, hierarchical, which is a 25-cent word for “pecking order.” There’s a stratification that occurs, mostly by design, which places some at the top of the mountain and others in the valley. Some aspire to leadership; others are reluctant inheritors of it. Some groom would-be leaders, while others are simply followers (I enjoy Bob Dylan’s timeless advice on the topic).
In 2020, perhaps more so than in years past, we’ve used “leaders” quite a bit regarding those who head up governments, political parties, and other groups in society. But leaders arise in virtually all facets of human endeavor. Name any field, and some of its leaders will spring to mind. Medicine had Jonas Salk and Alexander Fleming; aviation had the Wright Brothers and Charles Lindbergh. Sports had Muhammad Ali and Jackie Robinson. These individuals led by example and achievement, accomplishing numerous kinds of “firsts” in their fields and inspiring others to emulate them, invariably to the betterment of society.
In this special issue of Microwaves & RF, we celebrate the leaders of our industry who have blazed trails for others to follow. In it, you’ll find profiles not so much of individuals, but of the corporate entities that have delivered the answers to innumerable technical problems the industry faces in doing its day-to-day work of building connectivity that betters society. You’ll find leaders in all facets of what makes the RF/microwave industry tick—from test and measurement to interconnects, amplifiers to waveguides, and semiconductor devices to antennas.
There’s also a broad selection of technical articles on many topics from Microwaves & RF, many of which have not been seen in print until now. We hope that you draw enough inspiration from both the profiles and the editorial content to propel you to the ranks of those we look up to as leaders.