David Howell

Vice President

SMI Vice President who is a former DOE manufacturing and energy supply chain leader specializing in batteries, critical minerals, transportation technologies, and industrial strategy

Insights

U.S. Needs “National Science-At-Scale Collaborative” to Research and Scale Process Innovations for Chemicals and Critical Minerals
David Howell; July 20, 2026

Profile

David Howell, Vice President, boasts 38+ years of expertise in steering complex research, development, and manufacturing endeavors, spanning high-power/high-capacity batteries, critical minerals, electric vehicle drive systems, engines and emissions, connected and autonomous vehicles, and advanced polymer and intermetallic materials.

Prior to joining SMI, he worked with the U.S. Department of Energy for two decades, with Dave serving as the Principal Deputy Director of the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, leading efforts to establish multi-billion-dollar programs under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. His roles include directing the DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office and managing Electric Vehicle R&D. He was also the founding Chair of the U.S. Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries (FCAB) and the DOE Program Manager for the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) Cooperative Agreement. Prior to DOE, Dave was a Research Associate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and a former U.S. Air Force officer, where he planned and directed research focused on advanced materials and processes for aerospace and defense systems.

Education & Credentials

Dave holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Tennessee.

Practice Areas

Advanced Materials
Aerospace & Space
Energy Innovation