ACI supports aviation materials, structures, and uncrewed-systems innovation through Mississippi State University’s participation in FAA Centers of Excellence, including ASSURE and the Joint Advanced Materials and Structures (JAMS) Center of Excellence. ACI serves as an active member, collaborator, and capability provider within JAMS, contributing industry-scale manufacturing expertise to aviation-focused research and development efforts.
ACI’s role within this ecosystem is to bring production-representative composite manufacturing, materials evaluation, structural validation, and industry-scale demonstration capability to aviation materials and structures challenges. These capabilities help bridge the gap between research and real-world application, enabling practical evaluation, validation, and transition of advanced materials and manufacturing processes.
Key strengths supporting FAA/JAMS efforts include advanced composite materials and process development, resin-infused structures, additive manufacturing for rapid tooling, structural testing, non-destructive inspection, damage tolerance, and manufacturing-readiness support.
Through its work within JAMS, ACI has supported and led efforts focused on the technology readiness of stitched and unstitched resin-infused composite structures, advancing understanding of manufacturability, performance, and certification-relevant considerations for next-generation aerospace materials and processes.
These efforts align with FAA priorities to ensure the safe, reliable, and standardized integration of advanced composite materials into aviation systems while strengthening pathways for technology transition into industry.