Is FPGA the Best Engineering Career? With Adam Taylor

Is FPGA engineering the best career path for electronics engineers today? In this episode of the Altium OnTrack Podcast, host Zach Peterson sits down with Adam Taylor — founder of Adiuvo Engineering and the FPGA Horizons conference — to explore the full landscape of FPGA development. From how Adam accidentally fell into FPGAs as a new graduate to building one of the UK's most talked-about technical conferences, this conversation covers what it really means to build a career around programmable logic. Adam shares why he believes engineers should cultivate broad skill sets, how FPGAs have evolved from simple glue logic into advanced compute platforms, and what the future holds for FPGA professionals in an AI-driven world.

The episode also dives into the growing intersection of FPGA development and PCB design, the collaboration challenges that arise when hardware teams work in silos, and how AI tools like agentic coding assistants are beginning to change the way engineers write RTL. Adam also gives an inside look at FPGA Horizons — his community-driven, vendor-neutral conference now expanding to the US through a partnership with PCEA at PCB East. Whether you're a seasoned FPGA engineer, a board designer looking to understand programmable logic better, or a student weighing your career options, this episode is packed with practical insights and honest takes from someone with 26 years in the field.

👉 Resources from this Episode:

- Connect with Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-taylor-8a991713/

- Adiuvo Engineering: https://www.adiuvoengineering.com/

- FPGA Horizons: https://www.fpgahorizons.com/

- PCB East: https://pcbeast.com/

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The Altium Academy is an online experience created to bring modern education to PCB Designers and Engineers all across the world. Here you can access a vast library of free training and educational content covering everything from basic design to advanced principles and step-by-step walkthroughs. Join industry legends as they share their career knowledge, review real-life design projects, or learn how to leverage one of Altium's leading design tools. No matter your level of experience, the Altium Academy can help you become a better Designer and Engineer!

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