The US Department of War has awarded a 10-year programme to North Carolina (NC) State University to overhaul textile production across the United States in support of the country’s defense sector.
Known as FutureTEX, the scheme carries $36 million in funding for its opening year, with total commitments potentially reaching $480 million across the full decade.
The programme draws together manufacturers, government agencies, universities and non-profit bodies with a shared aim: pushing forward the manufacturing methods used to produce textiles for both military and civilian purposes.
A central plank of the initiative is workforce training, alongside upgrades to plant and machinery intended to sharpen America’s standing against overseas competitors.
At its core, FutureTEX intends to help domestic manufacturers harness digital tools and other cutting-edge technologies, strengthening the supply chain that underpins the defense industrial base.
Alongside NC State University, the founding partners steering the project include Drexel University, Gaston College, Georgia Institute of Technology, ISAIC and the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
The broader ambition is to lift the capabilities of textile manufacturers nationwide by introducing new materials, processes and techniques.
Organisers are currently signing up additional industry participants, and the project has already gathered upwards of 100 letters of backing from trade bodies and companies.
Among the first tasks facing NC State under the FutureTEX banner is a joint effort with Gaston College to set up a new non-profit body that will take on day-to-day administration of the programme.
This freshly established institute will be based at Gaston College’s Kimbrell Campus in Belmont, North Carolina, with satellite hubs planned for Raleigh, North Carolina; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Lowell, Massachusetts; and Atlanta, Georgia.
NC State University Chancellor Kevin Howell pointed to the university’s long-standing ties to both the armed forces and the textile trade, noting that the institution houses North America’s only dedicated college of textiles.
He said the university was honoured to support a large population of military-affiliated students and to take part in research collaborations that benefit the armed services, describing FutureTEX as a national effort that would bolster both the economy and defense capability.
Image courtesy: SNT Group
