Alternative electronic components distributor, Zel Components is exhibiting at Hardware Pioneers 2026, taking place at Excel London between 10 and 11 June. At stand Q21, the company is showcasing how its e-commerce platform and distribution network are helping engineers and procurement teams navigate rising supply chain pressure, extended lead times and ongoing component price volatility.

The exhibition comes as AI infrastructure investment continues to reshape the semiconductor market, with IDC forecasting that global semiconductor revenue will rise by 52.8 per cent from $842.8 billion in 2025 to $1.29 trillion in 2026, driven largely by accelerating demand for AI and memory technologies.

As a result, Zel Components will demonstrate how its distribution model is designed to help engineers and procurement teams improve flexibility, reduce risk and better manage ongoing pricing and availability challenges.

A key feature on the stand will be a live demonstration of the company’s e-commerce platform. This allows visitors to explore alternative electronic components through an interactive digital interface supported by UK-held stock and vetted international manufacturing partners.

What’s more, Zel Components will also showcase a live edge AI and cellular connectivity demo designed for secure, infrastructure-light environments, showing how sensor input can be processed locally and converted into actionable security decisions in under two seconds.

Built around an Arduino UNO Q platform powered by Qualcomm Dragonwing technology, the system demonstrates real-time person detection using on-device AI inference, intelligent event filtering and encrypted cellular transmission.

Designed for distributed deployments, the platform also features multi-network fallback across Wi-Fi, BLE, LoRaWAN and LTE-M, enabling resilient connectivity and offline operation without reliance on constant cloud processing.

“AI is booming, but that growth is creating pressure across the wider electronics market,” said Chris Withers, sales director at Zel Components. “We’re seeing ongoing price increases and tighter availability across multiple component categories as more manufacturing capacity shifts towards AI and memory demand.

“The goal for us is to help customers manage those challenges through local stock, flexible distribution strategies and a more cost-optimised approach to procurement.”

The company will highlight its franchise-style distribution model, designed to help manufacturers improve access to verified components through established manufacturing partners.

These partners operate to recognised international standards, including ISO 9001, AS9100 and IATF 16949 where applicable, while maintaining quality assurance and traceability.

Zel Components supports technologies including connectors, displays, LEDs, passive components, integrated circuits, semiconductors, sensors, timing devices and RF technologies.

For more information on pin-for-pin alternatives and ways to reduce risk across current designs, visit the Zel Components website.