2020 Opening Keynote Speaks on NASA’s Initiatives to Advance Partnerships and Composites

NASA Administrator Bridenstine Showcases Innovation Through Public-Private Partnerships and Composites at CAMX 2020

Bridenstine addressed the advancement of U.S. aeronautics prominence in the global marketplace during the Opening Keynote of CAMX 2020, a virtual industry event.
September 22, 2020 (Diamond Bar, CA) – CAMX – the Composites and Advanced Materials Expo, the industry’s only composites and advanced materials virtual conference and trade show in 2020, started yesterday with the Opening Keynote featuring NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. He highlighted NASA’s initiatives to advance U.S. aeronautics preeminence in the world and how composites and public-private partnerships will play a role.

Administrator Bridenstine addressed the global community of the composites and advanced materials industry, including manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, engineers, technicians, and professionals. He started his keynote with the declaration, “At NASA, we have a big agenda: to sustainably go to the moon.” In 2017, NASA launched the Artemis Project., which NASA states  “is the first step in the next era of human exploration. Together with commercial and international partners, NASA will establish a sustainable presence on the Moon to prepare for missions to Mars.”

The keynote reminded attendees about the importance of composites manufacturing and advanced materials in advancing NASA’s aeronautics objectives, whether going to the moon or extending U.S. dominance in the global aeronautics market. He emphasized that the composite industry is “essential to ensure that the United States of America is preeminent in our aeronautics export capability.” He highlighted that the Trump Administration is committed to addressing the nation’s trade deficit, which is largely offset by the export of US aeronautic goods. After the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max, he noted that the national GDP decreased by .5%, emphasizing the impact of the aeronautics industry on the national economy.

Bridenstine’s keynote outlined opportunities for commercial and academic partnerships with NASA. As an example, Bridenstine spoke about the recent work of the Advanced Composites Consortium—a group of industry, academia, government entities, including the FAA and NASA. The consortium explored opportunities to predict the lifespan of composites aero structures through modeling and computer tools, to promote inspection and characterization to identify flaws and make stronger composites structures, and utilizing technology to manufacture structures at a higher, faster rate. Their work, which concluded earlier this year, proved that reducing the timeline from development to certification for composites structures by 20% is achievable. He outlined that the consortium’s next steps will include expanding the use of composites through public-private partnerships to produce composites structures more rapidly with projected increase in output of by 4-6 times.

Additionally, Bridenstine promoted greater partnership and transparency between the government, academic institutions, and commercial industries. He highlighted that NASA is committed to investing in composites and advanced materials research and development to develop for rapid scale, including an $800 million budget to advanced aeronautics capabilities, which will require partnerships. These investments aim to prevent atrophy and ensure that industries’ R&D capability continue to increase, even during an economic downturn and a global pandemic.

Recordings of the keynote are available to CAMX 2020 conference program registrants through October 31. Registration for CAMX 2020 is still open. More information and updates about CAMX 2020 are available at www.thecamx.org

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About CAMX
CAMX brings together all aspects of the world’s composites and advanced materials communities to discover the latest products, solutions and advanced industry knowledge. View CAMX 2019 highlights here, and visit CAMX to learn more. CAMX 2020 will be held September 21-24 virtually.

About ACMA
The American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) is the world’s largest composites industry trade group. We are manufacturers, material and equipment suppliers, distributors, academia and end users, dedicated to growing the composites market. We serve our members and the industry by promoting the competitive advantage and versatility of composite materials. ACMA offers composites industry educational resources through our Education Hub, CAMX, conferences, webinars, and Certified Composites Technician (CCT®) program. We develop standards and specifications that drive preference for the use of composites in place of traditional materials. We lead advocacy efforts via legislative and regulatory channels to achieve a more viable composites industry. Together, we are shaping the future of composites.

About SAMPE
The Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE®), a global professional member society, providing enhanced educational opportunities by delivering information on new and advanced materials and processing technology. SAMPE provides growth and educational opportunities via conferences, exhibitions, technical forums, and publications. As the only technical society encompassing all fields of endeavor in materials and processes, SAMPE provides a unique and valuable forum for scientists, engineers, and academicians. SAMPE North America is a regional subsidiary of SAMPE serving Canada, Mexico, and the United States.