Posted August 31, 2015

 

By Seshadri Ramkumar

 

LUBBOCK, Texas – Smart and wearable textiles sector will get a boost from U.S. Department of Defense funding.

 

U. S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced the creation of National Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Hybrid Electronics.

 

According to U. S. DoD, “FlexTech Alliance,” a consortium of 96 companies, 41 universities, 14 state and local organizations and 11 laboratories and nonprofit organizations will establish the institute with huge funding from the U.S. Department of Defense.

 

The United States’ Defense will provide 75 million for the institute, which will be established in the Silicon Valley. In addition to the government’s commitment, private and public sector partners are contributing huge dollars, which has exceeded or matched the government’s support, according to Secretary Carter.

 

According to Secretary Carter, “our troops will be able to lighten their loads with sensors and electronic gear embedded in their clothing.”

 

Many different applications involving hybrid electronic technologies include intelligent bandages and smart textiles.

 

This innovation institute is part of President Obama’s program to create a number of manufacturing innovation institutes to boost the manufacturing sector in the United States.

 

Seshadri Ramkumar, PhD, FTA (honorary) is a professor of Nonwovens & Advanced Materials Laboratory at Texas Tech University.

Wearable electronic textiles gets boost from DoD