On behalf of the IACMI team, thank you to all the IACMI members who attended the Summer 2018 Members Meeting in Knoxville, Tennessee last week. We appreciate your dedication to producing more efficient composite manufacturing technologies and your passion for collaborating through the IACMI community to create new innovations. We would also like to extend a special thanks to the generous support of our event sponsors, including the University of Tennessee, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, without whom this event would not have been possible. The State of Tennessee is also a key supporter of IACMI. Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolf shared his enthusiasm for the program, “IACMI is creating an ecosystem in Tennessee between industry, academia, and government to develop innovative materials and deploy cutting-edge technologies to impact manufacturing and energy efficiency in automotive and other industries. In turn, IACMI is not just attracting quality manufacturing jobs to Tennessee, but it’s also training people for the jobs of the future.”
This was the largest meeting to date, gathering more than 400 attendees representing over 150
Mayor Madeline Rogero, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Chancellor Wayne Davis, Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, IACMI CEO John Hopkins, and Vice President for Research, Outreach and Economic Development, Stacey Patterson
organizations and 34 states. As an industry-driven organization, this Members Meeting had a heavy focus on project updates from members, with 60 speakers presenting in sessions and program tracks focused on recycling, tooling, materials technologies, and prototyping. Kicking off the meeting was a roadmapping workshop focused on IACMI’s future goals, technical targets, and projects aligned with the long-term technology roadmap. The meeting also spotlighted one of IACMI’s flagship projects led by Ford and Dow aimed to transform the automotive industry by enabling high volume manufacturing of lightweight parts.
Three years ago, Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Stacey Patterson, IACMI board of directors co-chair and vice president of research, outreach, and economic development for the University of Tennessee, helped make the official institute announcement at the inaugural Members Meeting held in Knoxville. Last week, they returned to welcome attendees and highlight the unique assets in the region. University of Tennessee, Knoxville Interim Chancellor Wayne Davis and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett also supported the event and provided remarks on Thursday morning.
Teams kicked off projects, including a project led by Steelhead Composites with Teijin Carbon, ORNL, and UTK focused on innovating smart composite pressure vessels in manufacturing.
Other highlights included a panel of seven industry partners focused on textile carbon fiber technologies led by Merlin Theodore, director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Carbon Fiber Technology Facility (CFTF) and IACMI interim director of materials and processes. David Houle, futurist speaker, presented a keynote presentation looking into the future of technology and dynamics that will trigger a transformative time. Editor-in-chief for CompositesWorld, Jeff Sloan, provided valuable perspective and guided an industry panel discussion on new market trends and opportunities in the industry.
In addition to the conference, we hosted two networking receptions and six facility tours, highlighting IACMI’s regional assets including Local Motors, University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Oak Ridge National Laboratory facilities. Attendees were able to get an inside look at world-class manufacturing research facilities developing the technology of the future.
This summer, IACMI hosted its largest class of interns, with 43 undergraduate and graduate students placed in 21 partner and member locations across the United States. This intern group participated in a day-long workshop aimed at increasing verbal communications and other soft skills such as networking, and designed to help them meaningfully connect with each other pre-conference. The interns participated in a poster session at the meeting where they discussed their research projects and networked with professionals attending the meeting.
Please take a moment to help us exceed expectations at the next Members Meeting by taking our survey and submitting your cost share forms. Presentations and event photos will be posted on our website, the Member Portal and on social media within the next couple weeks. We look forward to seeing you again for our next Members Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana January 29 – February 1, 2019, and thank you again for being a valued IACMI member.
Sincerely,
John A. Hopkins
IACMI CEO