Shima Seiki Haute Technology Laboratory at Drexel University, Philadelphia, is one of the US 75 million fund recipients, already engaged in the development of smart fabrics and wearable technology.

Funding

Last week at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter has announced US 75 million in funding for the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America. The project is expected by the Department of Defense and the White House's National Network for Manufacturing Innovation Institutes to give the US manufacturing sector a technological boost, adding value to exports, supporting the economy and generating jobs.

While MIT is the leading non-profit educational institution, a big share of the funding will be apportioned to the mid-Atlantic research group chaired by Drexel with regional partners Temple, Philadelphia University and the MEDstudio at Thomas Jefferson University, plus Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh and Penn State.

Consumer corporations such as Nike, the North Face, Bose, Goodyear, Microsoft, Intel, Flextronics, P&G, Faurecia, DuPont, Corning and Steelcase are already part of fabrics institute.

Shima Seiki Haute Tech Lab

Drexel University, in partnership with Shima Seiki, established a multidisciplinary, cross-college laboratory. Using advanced knitting and fabrication processes to design, prototype and produce the next generation of advanced textile technology, the project works collaboratively with researchers engaged in activities in the emerging field of smart textiles.

The Shima Seiki Haute Tech Lab focuses the research excellence and scientific and design leadership that Drexel has to offer toward unique collaborations. It is located in the ExCITe Center at Drexel University.

Drexel University

Drexel University is a founding partner in Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA), a new national manufacturing innovation institute, whose mission is to accelerate the growth of advanced fibres and functional fabrics manufacturing in defense and commercial markets.

Made possible by a US 75 million award from the Department of Defense, this new national public-private partnership has established Drexel as a regional centre for the sustainable and high-tech functional fabrics manufacturing ecosystem.

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Massachusetts to play central role in US 317 million textile innovation project