When Golam Newaz, Wayne State University College of Engineering professor and lightweight materials expert, heard of a potential manufacturing hub in Michigan, he went straight to the planning source. 

“University of Michigan Professor Alan Taub was spearheading efforts to position Michigan as a national materials and manufacturing leader,” Newaz says. “I called him and said that Wayne State needed to be a partner. After a set of face-to-face meetings, he was convinced."

As a result, Wayne State was named a partner in the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ALMMII) in Canton, Mich., recently announced during a press conference at the White House. 

The institute will bring aluminum, titanium and high-strength steel manufacturers together with universities and labs to conduct research on new technologies to expand the market and remove technical manufacturing barriers. 

Newaz and WSU engineering professors Xin Wu, Emmanuel Ayorinde, Guru Dinda and Susil Putatunda specialize in lightweight materials, advanced manufacturing and thermomechanical processing. As part of ALMMII, their work could result in lighter and stronger structural components, improve energy efficiencies, reduce pollution and cost, and increase safety across a wide variety of industries and technologies.

“I’m thrilled Wayne State is an ALMMII partner. It’s a great thing when industry, academia and government come together and share resources and ideas to innovate groundbreaking solutions,” Newaz says.