Drexel University will join a new 10-year initiative to modernize domestic textile manufacturing, backed by up to $480 million from the Pentagon.
Drexel University will join a new 10-year initiative to modernize domestic textile manufacturing, backed by up to $480 million from the US Department of Defense.
The FutureTEX initiative, led by North Carolina State University, includes $36 million in first-year funding and brings together organizations to develop advanced textile manufacturing technologies for defense and domestic applications.
Drexel’s Center for Functional Fabrics will host FutureTEX’s Philadelphia node, supporting work across Pennsylvania. The center operates a 10,000-square-foot (929-square-meter) manufacturing facility and has supported federal advanced manufacturing efforts for more than a decade.
FutureTEX aims to help US manufacturers adopt digital infrastructure and other emerging systems to strengthen the domestic supply network and improve the competitiveness of the defense industrial base.
Researchers at Drexel will work with industry partners on high-performance textiles, digital modeling and design tools, AI-driven design platforms, and digital twin technology. The center is also developing a repository of materials and manufacturing processes, along with a map of existing advanced textile capabilities.
Drexel, NC State, Gaston College, Georgia Tech, the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center, and the University of Massachusetts Lowell are among the initiative’s core partners.
US Defense Taps Universities
FutureTEX follows other efforts to leverage university research for defense technology development.
In May, XRDNA and the University of Utah launched a multi-year research partnership to develop new technologies for defense, aerospace, sensing, and digital infrastructure. The collaboration will support joint research projects through shared resources and coordinated development efforts.
In April, the US Air Force launched Alpha Blue, a program that challenges students to develop rapidly deployable counter-drone technologies for small aerial threats.
Earlier, in March, Clemson University established a National Security Institute to expand defense research and workforce development while strengthening ties with the US government and defense industry.
