10th Annual Materials Innovations Summit

About this event

Hosted by:

LIGHTWEIGHTING 2026: THE RIGHT MATERIAL. THE RIGHT PLACE. THE RIGHT SOLUTION.

The automotive industry is evolving, and across ICE, hybrid, and EV platforms, automakers and suppliers face the same challenge: improving efficiency, performance, and safety while controlling weight and cost.

Modern lightweighting demands balancing performance, manufacturability, cost, durability, and complex architectures — with no single material providing the answer, as steel, aluminum, composites, plastics, and enabling technologies each offer unique advantages that must work together to optimize the vehicle as a whole.

Join us for the 10th Annual Materials Innovation Summit, where industry experts explore the technologies and opportunities shaping the next generation of automotive lightweighting.

Agenda

• 7:45 a.m. Networking Continental Breakfast

• 8:30 a.m. Presentations and Awards

• 11:45 a.m. Event Concludes

Speakers

Welcome

Adam Bernard

SAA President

Jordan Arocha

President

Munro & Associates

Lightweighting: The Key to Efficiency

Abey Abraham

Head of Consulting

Mobility Global

Steel Has Changed. Has Your Cost Model?

Ram Iyer

Manager, Automotive Portfolio

Arcelor Mittal

Aluminum Industry

Ryan Warpup

Global Chief Engineer for Body-in-White (BIW)

Magna

Composite/Plastics Industry

Lewis Motion

Founder and CEO

WEAV3D

Enabling Technology for Lightweighting

Leslie Wolschleger

Director, Research and Development

L&L Products

Q & A

Moderated by: Jamie Butters

Founder of Butters Bureau, LLC

Host of Autotown with Jamie Butters

Innovations In Lightweighting Finalist Presentations and Award

Past winners include Cooper Standard, BASF, American Axle, and Nexteer

FREE for SAA and YPN members, $49 for non-members, which includes 1-year SAA membership (normally $150)