Biography: 

Poursartip develops physics-based simulations of manufacturing processes and the resulting performance for advanced composite structures. As an academic, he is passionate about fundamentals, and as an engineer he is passionate about impact. His UBC research led to the founding of Convergent Manufacturing Technologies in 1998. The resulting impact on the aerospace industry led to the 2012 founding of the Composites Research Network (CRN), supported by The Boeing Company and the Canadian Federal Government, with the added goal of supporting Canadian small & medium enterprises (SMEs). Finally, the issue of lifelong learning in the digital age led to the Composites Knowledge Network (CKN) in 2019. Since 2012, CRN and CKN have worked with over 250 Canadian SMEs, enabling and enhancing their composites activities. Poursartip is Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, Canada Composites Fellow, SAMPE Fellow, and World Fellow of ICCM.

About the University of British Columbia (UBC):

The University of British Columbia (UBC), consistently ranked among the world’s top 40 universities, hosts the Boeing-funded Composites Research Network (CRN), and the Composites Knowledge Network (CKN), which bridge the gap between academic innovation and industrial application. The CRN focuses on science-based manufacturing research to solve complex advanced processing and manufacturing challenges, while the CKN acts as a national translation hub, empowering companies with its "Knowledge in Practice Centre" to implement world-class composites best practices efficiently. Convergent Manufacturing Technologies, a successful 1998 spin-out, exemplifies this impact. As a leader in digital manufacturing solutions, Convergent provides advanced process simulation and control software (such as COMPRO and RAVEN) that allows engineers to predict and prevent defects during processing . These technologies have become a standard in the aerospace sector, helping manufacturers de-risk the production of complex composite structures.