Dear IACMI Members,
On behalf of the IACMI team, I would like to thank you for attending our Winter 2018 Members Meeting in Detroit, MI last week. We appreciate your time coming to Detroit, and your enthusiasm for sharing and learning about the innovations that IACMI members are creating in the composites field. We would also like to thank the exhibitors who held exhibitor tables during the event, offering insight into the unique capabilities of these organizations.
This Members Meeting offered an opportunity for us to discuss the advancements in both projects and facility capabilities that we have made over the past six months, particularly in our Vehicles Technology Area, with our hub at our Scale-Up Research Facility (SURF) in Detroit, MI. We had over 300 attendees at the meeting, and look forward to the future projects and collaborations that will come from this great event.
We would also like to thank Larry Drzal, IACMI’s Vehicles Technology Area Director, and Ray Boeman, the Director of the SURF, for 
hosting more than 225 attendees for tours at the facility. The SURF, which had its ribbon cutting in October 2017, offers unique opportunities to test the new materials and methods critical for integrating composites into large-scale components such as those used in the automotive industry. These developments will pave a path to incorporating more composites into key components of automobile structure and design.
Other key highlights from our meeting include presentations from Greg Satell, who discussed the history of innovations and the strategies for building diverse, collaborative teams to spur innovation adoption. Michigan State University President, Dr. Lou Anna K. Simon, underscored the importance of the partnership of Michigan State University and IACMI, and we appreciate her support of our institute, the research that we conduct together through our partnership, and the workforce opportunities for MSU students, as well as future composites workers in Michigan and across the United States. Research and development outcome presentations from industry partners such as Ashland, Volkswagen, Dow, and others highlighted just how far our collaborations have advanced the industry over the last couple of years. IACMI’s Chief Technology Officer and the UT/ORNL Governor’s Chair in Advanced Composites Manufacturing, Uday Vaidya, presented on the IACMI roadmap, including low-cost carbon fiber and a a report out of the recycling session held at CAMX 2017. Last but not least, Ray Boeman discussed the advancements in SURF and the IACMI projects that are being conducted in the facility, and being integrated into production.
Michigan continues to be an integral partner state for IACMI, and we appreciate the opportunity to host our bi-annual Members Meeting in Detroit, which is undergoing a transformation in advanced manufacturing and workforce development. We look forward to coming back to Michigan for our automotive-themed Closed Mold Alliance Workshop in 2018 – stay tuned for our workshop date announcement.
Please take a moment to help us exceed expectations at the next Members Meeting by taking our survey and don’t forget to submit 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’ve found that moving with the times is particularly important when it comes to sharing our meetings and projects. With the increasing popularity in social media, we, like everyone else, want to achieve as many followers as possible. So, if that means using an instagram growth service like Nitreo, or posting presentations and photos from our events on our platforms, then that is what we will do. Our main aim is to get as many people as possible to learn more about what we do and talk about, so they are able to stay in the loop with everything that goes on. Finally, to learn more about Projects RFP 4.0, register for the webinar on January 29. We look forward to seeing you again for our next Members Meeting in Knoxville, TN this July 24 – 26, 2018, and thank you again for being a valued IACMI member.
Sincerely,
John A. Hopkins
Read more coverage from the Winter 2018 Members Meeting on the recap webpage, from Crain’s Detroit Business, Composites World, and Composites Manufacturing Magazine.