This session strives to bring sectors of the chemicals, polymers and composites industry together to discuss future directions and offer a mechanism to achieve this vision through collaboration. The session will broadly identify future collaborative areas, and will lead to more specific technical workshops to define project efforts.

Who Should Attend:

Technical and Program Managers involved with charting and implementing research and development strategies for their company or department in the area of chemicals, polymeric materials, processing, and composite systems. Attendees should be interested in leveraging their available resources (funding, personnel, equipment) through collaboration with others facing similar issues.

Session Agenda:

2:00 pm – 2:15 pm
Introduction, Session Objectives
Chuck Ryan, Program Manager, NCMS

4:45 pm – 5:15 pm
Identifying common issues, and next steps
Chuck Ryan, Program Manager, NCMS

Objectives:

1. Review available roadmaps in chemicals, polymers, and composites,
2. Define issues of commonality in which to base future technical workshops, and leading ultimately to collaborative projects,
3. Leverage resources in pursuing your technical agenda,
4. Better coordinate industry, government, and academic research in chemicals, polymers and composites,
5. Open lines of communication between various facilities and research efforts.

Background:

Chemicals and their derivatives continue to be a vital U.S. industrial segment. However, this highly competitive industry, which relies on technology to maintain and increase its market lead, is not accustomed to collaborating. NCMS offers a proven mechanism for driving collaboration within and between industrial segments. With the merging of the Michigan Materials and Processing Institute into NCMS, a critical mass of materials companies along with end-users now form a core group in which to grow collaboration in chemicals and materials.

Technique:

Representatives from trade organizations and departments of government will share their roadmaps and vision for the chemicals, polymers, and composites industries. The session will ultimately focus on specific technical areas, which will be more completely defined in future workshops. These workshops will then result in a focused collaborative project.

Session Contact: Chuck Ryan - 734-995-4905, chuckr@ncms.org