A signing ceremony Wednesday marked the formal launch of the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, a $259 million project to develop East Tennessee into an advanced manufacturing hub.
The focus of the public-private partnership will be on accelerating the use of composite materials, especially in transportation and energy applications, spurring the growth of high-paying jobs in East Tennessee and nationally. Craig Blue, CEO of the IACMI; David Danielson, assistant secretary of energy efficiency and renewable energy with the U.S. Department of Energy, and David Millhorn, University of Tennessee executive vice president, signed the agreement in front of an audience of industry, government and academic leaders filling a banquet room at the Knoxville Convention Center.