The consortium held its first annual board of directors meeting on Monday, December 7, 2015 bringing together representatives from all current charter member organizations to decide the projects that the consortium will work on and to review the consortium vision, mission, values, and organizational structure.

Charter members were given the opportunity to propose research projects and those projects were presented, discussed, and voted upon to decide which projects will be researched. Meeting discussions also included potential charter members who may be interested in joining ahead of the January 15, 2016 Charter Member enrollment deadline. Current charter members of the consortium include: AK Steel, ArcelorMittal, NUCOR, Praxair, Steel Dynamics, Inc., SSAB, U. S. Steel, and Union Gas.

The meeting included a welcome by Purdue University Calumet Chancellor Thomas Keon and introductions by the company representatives.

Members of the consortium will benefit from industry-led decision-making, accelerated innovation, value-added solutions, and direct access to students, rapid access to research results, collaborative efforts and combined resources, and leverage from various funding agencies.

Charter members of the consortium enjoy additional benefits such as discounted membership fees, voting for project selection, and guaranteed membership. Members who join after the January deadline will require approval by existing members.