The U.S. Department of Defense has tapped Drexel University to be a key leader in a new $75 million national research institute that will support American textile manufacturers in bringing sophisticated new materials and textiles to the marketplace.
The institute, called Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA), will be a national manufacturing resource center for industry and government to draw on academic expertise in new fibers and textiles, with the aim of boosting the value of American-made products internationally. The result will be fabrics engineered to see, hear, sense and communicate; serving an array of industries including aerospace, apparel, architecture and health.
AFFOA has 16 companies as industry partners, including Nike, Microsoft and Goodyear, plus 26 startup incubator and venture capital groups.
Drexel is one of 31 academic institutions that are part of the program, and will serve as anchor for partners in the mid-Atlantic region.