New members are elected by the Academy membership in recognition of their outstanding technical accomplishments, leadership and contributions to the business. Membership continues through the term of employment. It is a significant personal honor for an employee to be elected to the Academy, but the Academy is not an honor society.
Membership also carries with it an obligation to be an active participant in Academy activities and to promote IBM's technical growth - in addition to the members' regular work responsibilities. Membership is balanced across both technical skills and geographic distribution. IBM Fellows - the company's most valuable corporate resource in their respective areas of technical expertise - are automatically invited to join the Academy upon appointment to IBM Fellow, if not already members. In addition to the Fellows, between 25 and 35 new Academy members are elected each year to inject new ideas, new views, and new energy into the Academy as established members retire or move to Emeritus status. Though there is no formal cap on membership size, the Academy membership of approximately 300 ensures effective networking among its members.
The Academy also has established 30 regional or technical affiliate groups, largely at IBM manufacturing and development sites or geographies in North America, Asia and Europe. These affiliate groups are, like the Academy, largely self-managed. Affiliate membership includes Academy members and other senior and up-and-coming technical leaders. Affiliate activity varies, being a mixture of site-specific studies, technical education, and community networking.
