A History of the Global Light Metals Alliance

The concept for the Light Metals Alliance arose from discussions in 2001 among Prof. David StJohn (then Research Program Leader of CAST, Australia), Dr. Jennifer Jackman (then Director General of CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory) and Dr. Helmut Kaufmann (then Director of LKR, Austria). The objective of the Alliance is to enable better use of light metals in a broad range of real-world applications through collaboration and knowledge exchange. This is accomplished by exchanges of personnel for research and technology transfer. Members also organize a biennial conference (Light Metals Technology—LMT) showcasing government/industry/academia collaborations. Since 2001, membership has grown from 3 to 11, and there have been numerous scientific exchanges yielding more than 50 co-authored publications and 8 LMT conferences. Research covers all aspects of the production of parts from light metal alloys and composites, and the assessment of their mechanical and corrosion performance. The presentation will highlight success factors and achievements over the 17-year history of the Alliance.