JEC Group has announced that R. Byron Pipes, a distinguished professor and member of the National Academy of Engineering (1987) and the Royal Society of Engineering Sciences of Sweden (1995), will deliver his keynote address entitled, “Manufacturing Innovation and the Future of Composites” on Wednesday, June 3rd at JEC Americas Houston Composites Show and Conference at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX.

The JEC Americas Composites Show and Conferences will focus on the Oil & Gas, Aerospace and Automotive industries, with particular attention to Electrical & Electronics, Thermoplastic Resins, Wind Energy, Equipment, Marine, Robots, Building & Construction, Transportation, Green Composites and Consumer Goods.

“We are excited to have R. Byron Pipes as one of our keynote speakers at this year’s event,” stated Mrs. Frédérique Mutel, JEC Group President and CEO. “Dr. Pipes is a renowned leader in the field of composite materials science and simulation”. Mr. Peter Zezima, JEC Americas Director, added, “Byron is a perfect fit, both professionally and personally, for JEC Americas and our audience who are sitting at the forefront of composites innovation.”

R. Byron Pipes will serve as the Director of Indiana Design and Simulation Technology Area for the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), an anticipated $259 million initiative supported by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of President Obama’s National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI). The goal of IACMI is to develop composite technologies to enable the next generation of energy-efficient vehicles and wind energy and compressed-gas storage technologies.

IACMI will consist of university researchers, manufacturers, materials suppliers, national laboratories, state economic development agencies from Tennessee, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Colorado and Kentucky, and over 100 supporting members including Ford, DOW, DowAksa, Volkswagen, Dassault Systèmes, and Lockheed Martin as committed industry charter members with the plan to launch five major technology areas, with key resources located in Midwestern and Southern states where nearly 70 percent of U.S. auto production and over 700 composite companies currently reside.