Objectives

The European Society for Composite Materials is a European, non-governmental, non-profit scientific and engineering organization with the following objectives :

• To encourage the free interchange of information on all those aspects related to composite materials which of are interest to the scientific and engineering community.
• To provide a Europe-wide forum for the discussion of such topics, e.g. by organizing the ECCM (European Conference on Composite Materials) and more specialized symposia related to composites.
• To guide and foster the understanding and utilization of the science and technology of composite materials.
• To promote European cooperation in studying topics related to composite materials science and technology.To promote liaison with engineering and scientific bodies throughout Europe with similar aims and to serve as a facilitator for communication between such bodies.
• To foster an environment for timely and cost-effective research, development and implementation of advanced technology in composites.
• To encourage the education of young specialists in the disciplines supporting composite materials science and technology.
• To recognize individuals of outstanding achievement in the science, technology, engineering, and application of composite materials.

History

The ESCM continues along the lines of the EACM (European Association of Composite Materials), founded in 1985. During 13 years, EACM, operating from Bordeaux (France), served the European composites community by organizing the now well established ECCM (European Conference on Composite Materials), and by a series of other initiatives. In 1996, the Standing Committee of EACM made an agreement with the Institute of Materials, in order to create a follow-up organization, and EACM ceased to exist as an organization under the French law.

In June 1997, a Provisional Council, composed of the previous EACM Council, completed by a number of well-known experts from the European composites community, gathered in London to discuss the transition from EACM to the new organization. General guidelines were agreed upon, a Provisional Executive Committee, and a Provisional President were elected. They were given the task to propose a new Constitution and Regulations, and to prepare the foundation of the new organization.

After a series of meetings in the period September 1997 till March 1998, and after consultation of the Provisional Council in April 1998, the Constitution and Regulations of the new organization, called ESCM, were presented for approval to the (Provisional) General Assembly during ECCM-8 in Naples (Italy) in June 1998. This (Provisional) General Assembly was constituted of all Europeans, registered at ECCM-8. Upon approval of the Constitution and Regulations, the (Provisional) General Assembly  also elected the first Council of ESCM.

In 2016, during ECCM17, the regulations were updated to further improve the way in which ESCM is working. Additional modifications were proposed and ratified during ECCM21.

ESCM is a new organization, building on the past and preparing for the future. ESCM wants to acknowledge the important role of the original founders of EACM (Antony Kelly, Antony Bunsell, Hans Lilholt, Ignazio Crivelli-Visconti, Karl Schulte and Albert Massiah) by attributing them the lifelong title of Honorary Members.