IACMI welcomed more than 300 industry leaders and technical experts from 36 states and 7 countries to Knoxville, Tenn., for our annual members meeting June 20-22, 2023. The three-day event brought some of the best minds and companies to Tennessee focused on composites and advanced materials to share success stories, join research and development working groups, attend presentations and network.
We were pleased to host leaders and representatives from the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense and national leading experts in energy, transportation, infrastructure, and workforce development. IACMI industry member companies teamed with our members from national laboratories, universities, and government agencies to emphasize the great things happening in the composites space and the possibilities in the years to come.
A special thank you to our event sponsors, American Chemistry Council Plastics Division, Dassault Systèmes, TPI Composites, Composites One, Berndorf Band Group, and Magnum Venus Products.
Held at the Marriott Knoxville Downtown, the event featured an impressive speaker lineup of industry leaders, including:
- Huijuan Dai, Program Manager for the Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) Next Generation Materials and Process, DOE
- Richard Raines, Energy Science & Technology Directorate, ORNL
- John Korsgaard, Executive Senior Director, LM Wind Power
- John Schweitzer, VP of EH&S and Sustainability, ACMC
- Marcy Offner, Marketing Communications Director, Composites One
- Hendrik Mainka, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., Senior Project Leader and head of VW Innovation Hub Knoxville
- Andrew Maxey, Vartega, CEO
- Peter Hedger Jr, Composite Applications Group, VP Business Development
- Susan MacKay, Senior R&D Program Manager, University of Maine
- Merlin Theodore, Director of the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility, ORNL
- Chad Duty, IACMI CEO
- Uday Vaidya, IACMI CTO
- Dale Brosius, IACMI EVP/CCO
Working Groups
“This discussion has exceeded my expectations. This has been really great!” That was Brian Knoff from ORNL wrapping up a break-out session in the Future Mobility Working Group. They had just spent 45 minutes brainstorming how IACMI can best use its resources in automotive R&D in this next phase. One of their conclusions: “Sustainability is a catalyst for innovation but without standardizing processes for LCA’s, it can be a barrier. That’s where IACMI can help.” Similar conversations bubbled up during the other Working Groups including Wind Energy, Infrastructure, High Rate Aerostructures, and Circular Economy. Several groups found cross interest, such as the “Blades to Buildings” idea. This concept is exploring technologies that recycle end-of-life wind turbines into components useful in infrastructure and construction. Two examples include liners for cured-in-place pipe and building panels that could be a substitute for plywood and particle board.
Workforce Development
The IACMI Workforce Development team drew many partners from across the country to our Members Meeting to give their input and learn about new opportunities. Multiple panels shared successes in youth engagement (K-12), resources, and apprenticeships as well as lessons learned and best practices for both ACE and MEEP programs. Our Workforce Development partners had multiple chances to network, including a reception at Calhoun’s on the River. Many topped off their trip with tours of the new TN MADE, which serves as a machine tool research facility for UT, and IACMI’s Collaboration facility, nicknamed Checkerboard.
And Much More…
Members were able to tour DOE’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and attend an engaging networking reception with industry partners from a variety of market sectors at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Other programs included panels covering topics from DEIA in the workplace and IACMI Resource Pool Projects to members from Small, Medium-Sized Enterprises showcasing their innovation.
IACMI will hold its next Members Meeting in Indianapolis in Summer 2024. Look for “Save The Date” details coming soon.
