Mission/Vision
Revitalizing US Textile Manufacturing
AFFOA’s mission is to rekindle the domestic textiles industry by leading a nationwide enterprise for advanced fiber & fabric technology development and manufacturing, enabling revolutionary system capabilities for national security and commercial markets.
Why Textiles
The Textile Industry
Universal Presence
From ropes, to composites to everyday clothing, textiles are ubiquitous. Their versatility enables them to be solutions to the wide range of problems we face day to day
Produced at Scale
Manufacturing textiles is an established industry. With generations of expertise, textiles can be easily produced to meet the given need
Technology Insertion
Textiles provide untapped real estate potential for additional capabilities and services that have previously been restricted to just hardware and wearables
What We Do
We are revolutionizing the textile industry by transforming traditional fibers, yarns and textiles into highly sophisticated, integrated, and networked devices and systems, enabling novel products & business models that leverage fabrics as a service.
How We Do It
Advancing the manufacturability of the most disruptive fiber and fabric technology while building the next generation supply chain and manufacturing workforce
Why We Do It
To reinvigorate the U.S domestic textile industry, create new jobs, and provide domestic manufacturers with a competitive edge
About
AFFOA’s Ecosystem
AFFOA’s impact is amplified by our advanced fabrics ecosystem, which is enabled by collaborations across academia, industry and government partners.
AFFOA HQ
- Internal breakthrough technology; System integrator; Technology transfer partner; Supply chain builder
Manufacturers
- Broad range of domestic manufacturing capabilities;
- Partners for technology transition and workforce training
Startups
- New business models and use cases;
- Agile commercialization of dual-use products
Fabric Discovery Centers (FDCs)
- Regional hubs for technology innovation, maturation and education and workforce development.
Universities
- New technologies;
- Education and workforce development hubs
Industry
- Applications, consumer insights and product needs
Government Sponsors
- Applications and product needs
NonProfits
- Amplify message to broader communities;
- Education and workforce development partners
Other Manufacturing Institutes
- Complementary technologies and manufacturing ecosystems for broader impact
Build an Ecosystem
Build a manufacturing ecosystem for advanced textile products through our Fabric Innovation Network (membership network) made up of universities, startups, manufacturers and industry partners
Develop Solutions
Work with the Fabric Innovation Network to develop system-level solutions to solve hard problems for defense and commercial needs
Create Textile Workforce
Create the next generation textile workforce by inspiring, educating, and training students and workers for the advanced textiles industry
Address Grand Challenges
Address challenges that prevent the volume manufacturing of innovative fibers and fabric products for domestic production
Rapidly Prototype
Facilitate rapid prototyping and pilot production of advanced fiber and fabric products
Agile Contract Vehicle
Provide agile and rapid contracting for prototyping through Technology Investment Agreement (TIA)
Transition Technology
Foster technology transitions leveraging ecosystem capabilities to increase manufacturability