Jim Bielenberg Returns to RAPID as Executive Director

NEW YORK, September 28, 2026 — The RAPID Manufacturing Institute®, an initiative of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), has named Jim Bielenberg, PhD, as its Executive Director. Bielenberg returns to RAPID after previously serving as the Institute’s first Chief Technology Officer.

Bielenberg succeeds Frank van Lier, who is stepping down after helping lead RAPID through a critical period of transition and restart. Under Van Lier’s leadership, RAPID advanced its work with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), re-engaged its member community, refreshed its technology roadmap, and laid the groundwork for new technical projects and the Institute’s next phase.

Van Lier is also on the slate for AIChE’s 2026 Board of Directors election.

“Frank provided important leadership at a pivotal time for RAPID, helping navigate funding uncertainty and positioning the Institute to move forward with renewed focus,” said Victor Bohnert, AIChE Executive Director and CEO. “As RAPID enters its next phase, Jim brings a unique combination of knowledge of the Institute and extensive experience in technology development and manufacturing. We’re grateful to Frank for his leadership and excited to welcome Jim back to RAPID.”

Bielenberg brings more than two decades of experience in technology development, manufacturing, and energy innovation, along with a deep familiarity with RAPID and its mission. As RAPID’s Chief Technology Officer from 2017 to 2019, he helped build the Institute from its startup phase into a 70-member organization, developed its technology roadmapping process, and helped establish its research and development portfolio.

Most recently, Bielenberg served as a Senior Technical Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), where his work focused on materials engineering, manufacturing, and industrial decarbonization. He previously spent nearly two decades at ExxonMobil, including leadership roles in direct air capture, energy transition technologies, and process technology research and development.

During Van Lier’s tenure, DOE approved a $40 million institute extension. This extension allowed RAPID to re-engage its industrial, academic, and national laboratory members, refresh its technology roadmap, prepare for a new request for proposals, and launch two new technical projects.

Bielenberg will build on that progress as RAPID enters its next phase, with a focus on strengthening the Institute’s member network, advancing its portfolio of technical projects, and supporting a sustainable path forward.

“RAPID has always been about bringing together the right people and organizations to solve manufacturing challenges that no single organization can address alone,” Bielenberg said. “I’m excited to return to the Institute and work with our members, DOE, and the broader manufacturing community to build on RAPID’s foundation and advance technologies that strengthen U.S. manufacturing.”

Bielenberg earned his PhD in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his BS in chemical engineering from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

“I’m proud of what the RAPID team and its members have accomplished during this period and of the progress we’ve made in positioning the Institute for what comes next,” Van Lier said. “Jim knows this organization and its community well, and I’m confident RAPID is in good hands as it moves forward.”