HUNTSVILLE — Through a partnership with the state and Auburn University, NextFlex launched a regional hub in Huntsville to provide regional supply chain support and support the growth of hybrid electronics.
The Alabama Node will accelerate the commercialization of hybrid electronics by boosting innovation, technology transition, and adoption, according to a news release from NextFlex, the nation’s hub for hybrid electronics innovation and manufacturing readiness.
NextFlex is holding a workshop on “Hybrid Electronics for Automotive and Aerospace Applications” at the Auburn University Research & Innovation Campus on Voyager Way in Cummings Research Park.
NextFlex Nodes serve as regional hubs for collaboration, providing the industry and supply chain access to facilities, equipment, and infrastructure that fast-track hybrid electronics design, development, and manufacturing adoption, the news release said.
They also extend the reach of NextFlex’s advanced manufacturing education and workforce development programs, while supporting the national mission to drive technology innovation, strengthen the U.S. manufacturing workforce, and promote strong and competitive advanced manufacturing in America.
“The launch of the Alabama Node represents another significant step toward realizing our national vision for hybrid electronics innovation and commercialization,” said NextFlex Executive Director Dan Gamota. “By partnering with Auburn University and the state of Alabama, we’re expanding the reach of hybrid electronics manufacturing collaboration and workforce development, while strengthening the nation’s capacity to design, build, and deploy cutting-edge electronics for automotive, aerospace, and defense applications.
“Together, we’re accelerating the pace of innovation and ensuring that U.S. manufacturing remains globally competitive for decades to come.”
The Alabama Node will be led by Auburn University, working in close partnership with the state and additional industrial and academic partners. A $20 million state grant will fund electronics manufacturing infrastructure, analysis capabilities, and support technology, workforce, and economic development statewide, the news release said.
“The establishment of the NextFlex Alabama Node at Auburn University will enable new mechanisms for small, medium, and large enterprises in the state of Alabama to achieve retrenchment of U.S. domestic electronics manufacturing using additive-manufactured electronics,” said Dr. Steve Taylor, Auburn University’s senior vice president for research and economic development. “The Alabama Node has been built upon the work of Auburn University’s Electronics Packaging Research Institute over the last 25 years, and more recently, as a Tier-1 founding member of the NextFlex Manufacturing Innovation Institute over the last 10 years.”
NextFlex Fellow Dr. Pradeep Lall, MacFarlane Distinguished Professor and alumni professor at Auburn University, led the establishment of the Alabama Node and will serve as the Node’s director.
“Hybrid electronics are revolutionizing the automotive and aerospace sectors by delivering lightweight, sophisticated, and highly efficient systems that significantly elevate performance and safety,” said Lall, the academic co-lead of NextFlex’s Automotive and Asset Monitoring Technical Working Groups. “Whether it’s touch control interfaces, advanced driver-assistance systems, or state-of-the-art avionics, hybrid electronics are at the forefront of innovation.
“These developments are also driving the electrification of vehicles and aircraft, resulting in electric ground and airborne platforms with greater fuel efficiency and lower emissions.”
Priority technology areas of focus for the NextFlex Alabama Node include advanced packaging for electronics in harsh environments and additive printed electronics.
NextFlex said the Alabama Node is strategically positioned to strengthen regional ties, leveraging the state’s robust commercial and defense manufacturing base in areas such as aerospace, automotive, and shipbuilding. By doing so, it will boost the competitiveness of the regional hybrid electronics supply chain and complement the capabilities of the NextFlex Technology Hub in San Jose, Calif.
This marks the fourth regional Node established by NextFlex, joining those in New York, Massachusetts, and Missouri, underscoring the growing momentum of hybrid electronics across the nation, the news release said.
As a public-private partnership and a DoD-sponsored Manufacturing Innovation Institute, NextFlex is partially funded by Air Force Research Laboratory. NextFlex includes a consortium of companies, academic institutions, non-profits and state, local and federal governments with a shared goal of U.S. manufacturing and commercialization of hybrid electronics.
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