Building on 2016’s success
Dr. Ali Erdemir | TLT President's Report March 2017
Following a record-breaking year, STLE will continue advancing its long-term strategic plan.
In 2016 STLE was a major promoter of tribology research to save energy in such areas as transportation, power generation, aviation and manufacturing.
© Can Stock Photo / FER737NG
AROUND THIS TIME high hopes and expectations usually soar toward the many great things a New Year may bring to our lives and to the lives of all humanity. As the New Year’s minutes start ticking, somehow we all tend to feel relieved, refreshed and highly motivated to do better things for ourselves and others.
Just like people, professional associations like STLE have high hopes and aspirations to do better year after year. In fact, STLE’s long tradition of success stems from its carefully laid-out strategic plan, a roadmap to safely and securely navigate a rapidly changing world. In fact in 2016 STLE adopted the next phase of its strategic plan. Our focus now turns to improving the expertise of our members, advancing innovation in the fields of tribology and lubrication engineering, enhancing STLE’s role in global advocacy and promoting governance and association best practices as a premiere organization.
2016 was a very successful year for STLE. Many of the initiatives laid out in the first phase of our strategic plan were put onto a solid foundation. In all activities, our value proposition—Connect, Learn, Achieve—has been our guiding principle in increasing our relevance worldwide through one-of-a-kind technical conferences, archival publications, educational programs, STEM/student activities and national and global outreach platforms. STLE’s 2016 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas was a record-breaking event for STLE, as more than 1,600 lubrication professionals enjoyed a full agenda of technical and educational offerings and conducted business with more than 125 exhibitors. Likewise, STLE’s Tribology Frontiers Conference in Chicago was a record-breaking success with more than 250 participants.
In 2016 STLE also intensified its outreach effort to connect with global tribology communities spanning from Latin America to China and beyond. This has been a longstanding strategic goal of STLE’s; our aim is to unite tribologists around the world to advance the science of tribology and the practice of lubrication engineering for the betterment of the world. STLE participated in numerous technical events and educational activities in Asia, Europe and Latin America in 2016. We held strategic partnership meetings with the Chinese Tribology Institute (CTI), the Japanese Tribology Society and tribologists in Europe and Latin America. STLE has been working closely with CTI on program development and marketing of the 2017 World Tribology Congress in Beijing, Sept. 17-22. STLE and CTI also are planning a one-day education program on Efficiency and Energy Saving in Advanced Manufacturing.
On the advocacy front, STLE’s Executive Committee helped draft a congressional resolution recognizing the impact of tribology on the U.S. economy. The resolution emphasizes the link between tribology and such national priorities as energy, environment, health and national security. Likewise, STLE was the key facilitator and advocate for the promotion and funding of tribological R&D projects that could have significant energy-saving implications in transportation, power generation, aviation and manufacturing.
Preliminary work has begun on an updated version of STLE’s Emerging Trends Report, first published in 2014 and extremely well received by our members. Building on the success of this first report, STLE moved swiftly for the creation of a much enhanced/expanded version with a completion date of mid-2017.
As we embrace the New Year, our goal remains tall with high hopes and aspirations toward being more effective and productive in addressing the challenges and opportunities that will face us in coming years. STLE thanks all of you for your continued support and wishes everyone a happy, healthy and successful 2017.
Ali Erdemir is a Distinguished Fellow at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Ill. You can reach him at erdemir@anl.gov.