SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- NextFlex will once again open the doors to its manufacturing facility in San Jose for its second annual Innovation Day on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017. Since its inception in 2015 – when the U.S. Dept. of Defense announced a $75-million award to advance the country's manufacturing ecosystem and workforce for flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) – NextFlex has issued three project calls aimed at bringing FHE solutions to market for a staggering $45 million (including cost-share). This week, NextFlex brings together more than 50 companies, government agencies and universities to demonstrate the technology advances these investments have yielded, as well as other efforts underway in the burgeoning FHE industry.
FHE promises to transform powerful, yet traditionally bulky, electronics into formats that bend, stretch, fold, and conform to the contours of our world, from human bodies to vehicles, buildings, and many other objects. The next generation of electronics will produce smarter and lighter consumer wearables; health monitoring devices, including intelligent patches and bandages for medical treatments; structural monitoring to protect and optimize buildings, vehicles, bridges, and more; and "soft" robotics, including advanced flexible electronics for prosthetics that can assist, restore, or enhance physical capabilities.
As NextFlex Executive Director Malcolm Thompson noted, no other event can provide such a compelling look at the future of FHE. "Consumer and military applications for FHE devices abound – in turn, providing significant economic and job growth opportunities for U.S. companies, starting with increased demand for materials to produce key FHE components, such as sensors, interconnect, and ICs, and flexible batteries," said Dr. Thompson. "Early adopters of these technologies will be the medical and healthcare communities, as well as such mainstay industries as automotive, aerospace, retail and packaging. FHE devices will also likely impact disruptive technologies including wearable electronics and the IoT. NextFlex is facilitating collaboration, innovation and transformation, illustrated by this unparalleled gathering of companies, academic and nonprofit institutions, and government agencies – all of whom are focused on the single goal of creating a robust FHE manufacturing infrastructure, right here in the U.S."
Open to accredited media, the event will feature some of the latest FHE technology currently being developed for commercial (health/wellness, food, sports, agriculture, wearables, aerospace, automotive, etc.) and military applications. Members of the media will also be able to meet and network with key influencers in the FHE manufacturing supply chain, as well as interact with NextFlex government agency partners and dignitaries. More than 50 FHE pioneers will be on hand to demonstrate FHE-enabled products and capabilities. Highlights include:
Speakers during the morning program, which begins at 10:00 a.m., include:
The event will be held at NextFlex's headquarters: 2244 Blach Place, Ste.150, San Jose, Calif. 95131. Registration opens at 8:00 a.m. (PT), with the event starting at 10:00 a.m. Please note, at 9:00 a.m., members of the media are invited to attend an exclusive preview, with a guided tour of the facility and demonstration area.
RSVP TODAY: Innovation Day 2017 is open to accredited media and market analysts. As this will be a standing-room only event, those who wish to cover the event must RSVP to Marie Labrie at mlabrie@mcapr.com providing the name, title, media/firm outlet, phone, and email for each person planning to attend the event. Media that are not able to attend the event but are interested in photos can contact Marie at the email alias above. You can also keep abreast of the event by visiting www.nextflex.us or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Participate using #innovation, #fhepioneers.
About NextFlex
NextFlex®, America's Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Institute, is a leading force in the Manufacturing USA network of Institutes. Formed through a cooperative agreement between the US Department of Defense (DoD) and FlexTech Alliance, NextFlex is a consortium of companies, academic institutions, non-profits and state, local and federal governments with a shared goal of advancing U.S. manufacturing of FHE. Since its formation in 2015, NextFlex's elite team of thought leaders, educators, problem solvers, and manufacturers have come together to collectively facilitate innovation, narrow the manufacturing workforce gap, and promote sustainable manufacturing ecosystems. For more information, visit www.nextflex.us and follow NextFlex on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
SOURCE NextFlex