John Hopkins announces he will be stepping down as IACMI CEO

The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation’s (IACMI, Knoxville, Tenn., U.S.) John A. Hopkins, Ph.D., is stepping down from his role as CEO, effective March 31, 2022. IACMI is one of 16 Manufacturing USA innovation institutes created to secure U.S. global leadership in advanced manufacturing through large-scale public-private collaboration on technology, supply chain and workforce development.

“Leading IACMI and serving the U.S. composites community has been one of the true highlights of my career,” Hopkins reflects. “I am proud of the material and manufacturing advances our core R&D and industrial partners have made. IACMI is well positioned to drive further significant national initiatives in composites innovation and workforce development.”

Hopkins became CEO of IACMI in 2017. He had previously served as senior project controls director for the institute where he managed R&D programs. IACMI, under Hopkins’ leadership, has built upon its strong collaborative system across the U.S. composites community that brings researchers together to advance manufacturing and applications of new composites materials.

“Under John’s leadership, IACMI has expanded its footprint and elevated the institute’s reputation nationally and internationally. His vision and guidance have provided valuable strength in partnerships, innovations and solutions relevant to advancing composites design, manufacturing, technical innovation and workforce solutions — all of which positions IACMI to capitalize on many opportunities in the future,” says Stacey S. Patterson, president of the University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF, Knoxville). UTRF is the sole corporate member of Collaborative Composite Solutions Corp. (Knoxville, Tenn., U.S.), the non-profit organization which operates IACMI.

According to Patterson, a search for a new IACMI CEO is now underway and Hopkins, who has set a high standard for innovation and creativity, will be actively involved in finding his successor.

Since 2015, IACMI has managed more than 50 collaborative and industry-led technical projects with greater than $150 million in R&D value. More than 15 new products are now commercially available and $400+ million has been invested in a broad system of open access facilities for demonstration at scale in eight states. IACMI has engaged more than 9,000 people in composites training and STEM outreach and placed more than 100 university interns with industry collaboration.

Through collaboration with industry, academia and national laboratories, IACMI projects have demonstrated faster cycle times and lower costs for composite materials and structures, decreased carbon intensity and increased recyclability of composites.