A Massachusetts Institute of Technology-led association of 89 universities, manufacturers, and non-profits, will head a new manufacturing innovation institute dedicated to creating innovative fibers and textiles as part of a partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the Pentagon publicized in a press statement Friday following an announcement made by U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter.
The consortium was granted the right to lead the institute, called Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA), after beating out bids placed by groups from throughout the U.S.
More than $317 million in funds will be contributed to the partnership, almost $250 million of which will come from non-federal investments. The DoD will provide $75 million in funding.
Technology companies like Intel, Bose, and the nanofiber maker FibeRio, will partner with fabric manufacturers like New Balance to create threads featuring LEDs, solar cells, integrated circuits, and other technologies. The result will be a development of innovative textiles that can do things like communicate with other technologies, store energy, regulate temperature, and monitor the health of the wearer.
Due to the advanced capabilities they possess, the DoD said the special fabrics could lead to cloth-based shelters that can create and store energy, energy-efficient filters for vehicles, military uniforms that can spot dangerous chemical and radioactive substances, and other applications.
“The combination of novel properties such as exceptional strength, flame resistance, reduced weight and electrical conductivity through this institute will lead to significant advancements in this industry,” the DoD said in the press statement.
AFFOA is the sixth manufacturing center to receive an award by the Obama administration via the DoD.
