In May 2014, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) awarded the Consortium for Accelerated Innovation and Insertion of Advanced Composites (CAIIAC) a grant to:

• Develop an objective, verifiable and consistent roadmap to identify and validate emerging cross-cutting composite technologies; and
• Create a domestic innovation manufacturing ecosystem to accelerate advanced composite products into the market.

The Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI), in collaboration with Advanced Materials Professional Services, Florida State University, and the University of Dayton, created the Consortium.  Already, 39 companies and government laboratories representing the aerospace, automotive, energy, and medical device sectors have committed to participating in CAIIAC. More than 60 percent of these partners are small- or medium-sized enterprises that play a critical role in the U.S. supplier network. Starting with an industry-led roadmapping process, the new consortium aims to:

• Accelerate innovation and deployment of advanced composites.
• Develop broad-based applications for advanced composites.
• Improve U.S. competitiveness and sell advanced composite products globally.

Please find updates on the work of the Consortium in the right column.

For more information on CAIIAC, contact Ben Wang, executive director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute, at 404-385-2068 or ben.wang@gatech.edu.​