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Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute Launched

Eighth manufacturing hub awarded by Obama administration

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A consortium of 89 manufacturers, universities and nonprofits organized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will spearhead a new manufacturing innovation institute in partnership with the Department of Defense focused on securing U.S. leadership in revolutionary fibers and textiles manufacturing, says Secretary of Defense Ash Carter.

Officials from the Obama administration say the new Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute in Cambridge, Mass., will combine more than $75 million of federal resources with nearly $250 million of non-federal investment in innovative fabrics and textiles with novel properties, ranging from being incredibly lightweight and flame-resistant to having exceptional strength and containing electronic sensors.

With wide-ranging applications, these technical textiles can forge protective gear for firefighters impervious to the hottest flames, replicate the sensing capabilities of a smartwatch into a lightweight fabric or detect when a wounded soldier needs to be treated with an antimicrobial compression bandage, according to the administration.

The American textile industry is adding jobs for the first time in decades, increasing shipments by 14% from 2009 to 2015, and growing exports globally with a 39% increase in exports from 2009 to 2015, the administration reports. After a decade in decline during the 2000s, the U.S. manufacturing sector as a whole has added nearly 900,000 jobs since February 2010.

This new institute is the eighth manufacturing hub to be awarded by the Obama administration, building on the president’s vision to create a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) of at least 15 hubs across the country during his administration.

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(Photo: Department of Defense)

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