Posted August 18, 2014

 

The Fiber and Textiles Innovative Manufacturing Institute, made up of representatives from Clemson University, North Carolina State University and the industry, is seeking textile industry representatives to help convince leadership at the Department of Defense (DoD) that the institute is vitally needed by the U.S. textile industry.

 

The U.S. government has an objective of creating 15 innovative manufacturing institutes (IMIs), each dedicated to advancing a manufacturing area that is considered critical to industry and DoD. Each IMI will have a minimum of $70 million in federal funding and $70 million in funding from states and industry over a five-to-seven-year initial period.

 

Action requested

 

The institute has requested that you write a letter of support for the Fiber and Textile Institute for Manufacturing Innovation by Friday, August 22. The institute asks that you put your own views into such a letter and send a signed version to Dr. Christine W. Cole, director of Clemson Apparel Research and Professor Emerita at Clemson University.

 

Rather than send a series of separate emails from individuals, the institute asks that they be sent to Dr. Cole, who will forward the group of letters to the DoD as a strong indication of industry support. Letters should be on company letterhead, signed and scanned as a pdf.

 

For a suggested letter of support, click here. Send your letters as an attachment to Dr. Cole at cwjrv@clemson.edu. For questions, call her at (864) 646-8454 (O); or (864) 506-2704 (M).

 

DoD will probably make a decision on industry support in the next week or so, so timing is urgent.

 

More background

 

Four IMIs have been awarded:

 

• Digital Manufacturing & Design Innovation Institute, DoD, Chicago, Ill.;

• Lightweight & Modern Metals Manufacturing Innovation (LM3I), DoD, Detroit, Mich.;

• National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, DoD, Youngstown, Ohio; and

• Next Generation Power Electronics National IMI, DoE, N.C. State, Raleigh, N.C.

 

A fifth IMI, Composite Materials and Structures, is to be awarded in September.

 

The team from N.C. State and the team from Clemson recently responded to a June request for information from DoD that asked if a Fiber and Textile IMI was needed and, if so, what kind of IMI would be created. The institute said it just learned that its separate responses were apparently viewed as credible. However, because there were so few responses from industry, DoD would like assurances that there is significant support by industry for the need of a Fiber and Textile IMI.

 

Without adequate letters of support, the institute said it is concerned that another technology area may be considered for IMI, and the textile industry will miss the opportunity to advance its technology and economic status.
DoD will probably make a decision on industry support in the next week or so, so timing is urgent.

 

For an overview of the Fiber and Textiles Innovative Manufacturing Institute, click here.