History

Origins and Founding

ICCM was founded in 1971 by Eraldus “Pete” Scala, a Professor of Metallurgical and Materials Sciences at Cornell University. At this time, composite materials were gaining significant attention for their potential in aerospace, automotive, civil engineering, and other high-performance applications. 
The inaugural International Conference on Composite Materials, ICCM-1, was held jointly in Geneva and Boston in 1975, to bring together the young composite communities in Europe and USA, marking the beginning of what would become a prestigious biennial event. This dual-location launch reflected the committee’s foundational goal: to foster international collaboration and the free exchange of knowledge across continents. The conference commenced on the 7th April, in Geneva, and ran for five days, before travelling across the Atlantic Ocean to the USA, where it recommenced in Boston on the 14th April, and ran for another five days. Since then, the ICCM conferences and have always run for just one week and have been held in a single location. 

Growth and Global Reach

Following its inception, the ICCM rapidly expanded its influence, demonstrating the truly global nature of the organization. ICCM-2 was held in Toronto in 1977 (with 195 participants from eleven countries) while ICCM-3 was held in Paris, in 1980, in combination with the second Journées Nationales sur les Composites (JNC). This conference showed a significant change of scale, with about 650 participants from 26 countries, assuring also the continuity of the series. The sequence of the peripatetic conferences held around the world until today is presented in a table below.  From the hundreds of participants in the event in the early editions, the average size is now generally well above a thousand attendees, suggesting a significant development and a stable consolidation of the worldwide composite community. Each conference brought together leading researchers, engineers, and industry professionals to share breakthroughs in composite science and technology. Over the decades, the ICCM has grown to include member nations from around the world, with a rotating Executive Council composed of distinguished figures in the field.
Talking now about the people at the origin and behind the organisation, in the early, heady days of the late 1970s and early and mid-1980s together with Pete Scala, the names of two other “founders”, Anthony Kelly and Stephen Tsai, must definitely be mentioned.  Tony and Steve supported an organic growth of ICCM in light of their scientific prominence and with the help of a period where composites were seen to have an enormous growth potential, thus facilitating the overall process. 
In 1993, Paul Lagace was elected Chair (President) and then re-elected until 1999.  Learning from other international organizations, including the International Olympic Committee, he was the driving force behind a full rewriting of the Constitution and By-Laws. In parallel, he led a deep reorganization of the ICCM which continued after his presidency, where he remained the heart and the soul of the Committee, until his untimely death in 2021. Together with Paul Lagace, Anoush Poursartip and Murray Scott also had a substantial impact on the organisation and life of ICCM.  Anoush Poursartip was the Co-Chair of ICCM-10 in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada and Murray Scott of ICCM-11 in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. 
The new ICCM Constitution was ratified in July 1999, under the presidency of Paul Lagace at the General Assembly of ICCM-12 in Paris. Further fine-tuning of the Constitution and By-laws has continued on an ongoing basis under the presidency of many colleagues (as shown in the table below).

Legacy and Impact

The ICCM has played a pivotal role in shaping the direction of composite materials research. It has provided a platform for the introduction of new theories, materials, and manufacturing techniques. The biennial conferences have become a cornerstone for the community, not only for presenting research but also for mentoring young scientists and fostering long-term collaborations.
Part of the mission of ICCM is the recognition of individuals who have made outstanding achievements in the science, technology, engineering and application of composite materials. It has therefore recognized outstanding contributions through awards such as the Tsai Award, the Kelly Prize , the Scala Award (which carries with it the designation of ICCM World Fellow – and these become Life Members of ICCM) and more recently also the Lagace Award. In 2001, in recognition of their lifetime achievements, Pete Scala, Anthony Kelly, Steve Tsai and Paul Lagace were nominated the first World Fellows and Life Members of ICCM. 

ICCM conferences, locations and presidents