DoD awards FHE manufacturing contract

FlexTech Alliance has been awarded a cooperative agreement by the US Department of Defense (DoD) to establish and manage a Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII) for Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE), the company announced on 28 August.

Flexible hybrid electronics is an emerging manufacturing capability that enables the integration of thin silicon electronic devices, sensing elements, communications, and power on non-traditional flexible substrates. The technology has potential application to defence applications such as electronic wearable devices and health monitoring systems.

FlexTech Alliance proposed a hub based in San Hose, California and a node approach to create the FHE MII, which will comprise 11 laboratories and non-profits, 96 companies, 14 regional and state organisations and 42 universities.

Federal funding of $75 million under the contract will be made available over a five-year span. It is be matched by over $96 million in cost-sharing from non-federal sources that include universities, private companies, several US states, not-for-profit organisations and the City of San Hose, California.

The research and development funds will be distributed by the institute through competitive-bid project calls. FlexTech Alliance's MII will be the first of seven planned FHE manufacturing facilities on the US West Coast, to be overseen by the DoD's Manufacturing Technology Program Office.

Michael Ciesinski, president and CEO, FlexTech Alliance, said: ‘FlexTech is privileged to accept this award from the defence department to stand up and lead the FHE MII. Our partners collaborated on a superb proposal that links a national hub in San Jose to a network of centres of excellence throughout the US. We are excited by the FHE manufacturing challenge and eager to get operations underway.’