News

Photo of Eric Evans, Chair of AFFOA’s Board of Directors
AFFOA
Announcement, Fabrics
Eric Evans, Ph.D., Appointed Chair of AFFOA’s Board of Directors

Advanced Functional Fabrics of America ( AFFOA ) is pleased to announce that Dr. Eric Evans has been appointed as the new Chair of the AFFOA Board of Directors. Dr. Evans brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in defense technology and innovation to AFFOA, positioning the organization for continued leadership in the field of advanced textiles...

Graphic for the Advanced Textiles podcast
AFFOA
Fabrics, Podcast
AFFOA Partners with Advanced Textiles Association to Launch Special Podcast Limited Series on Workforce Development

Advanced Functional Fabrics of America ( AFFOA ), a non-profit Manufacturing USA Institute driving fiber and fabric-based innovation in the US has announced a strategic partnership with Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA), leveraging ATA’s signature Talking Textiles podcast . This partnership will produce a special series of insightful episodes...

Six men sit at a long table. On the wall behind them are screens displaying institute logos.
AFFOA, AIM Photonics, America Makes, ARM, BioFabUSA, BioMADE, CESMII, CyManII, EPIXC, IACMI, LIFT, MxD, NextFlex, NIIMBL, PowerAmerica, RAPID, REMADE, SMART USA
Event, Innovation, Manufacturing, Network
Unleashing Innovation at the 2025 Manufacturing USA Network Meeting

Each year, the NIST Office of Advanced Manufacturing enjoys the unique privilege of convening the Manufacturing USA network for its annual meeting. The 2025 Manufacturing USA Network Meeting was an energizing gathering of over 80 representatives from the program’s 18 manufacturing innovation institutes and supporting federal agencies. Over a day...

External News

Graphic with headshots of Suzy Teele, Maria Curry-Nkansah, Kathie Leonard, and Jeff Winters from the SXSW panel
Smart Industry
Automation, Digital Manufacturing, Event, Fabrics, Manufacturing Jobs, Smart Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Workforce
SXSW Quartet Contends With Last Five Years of Change in Manufacturing

Experts with diverse manufacturing backgrounds from the Manufacturing USA network, presenting at the South by Southwest Conference in Austin, Texas, last month, explored U.S. manufacturing, what technologies the next few decades will bring, and what steps manufacturers big and small can take to future-proof their business.

While manufacturing has...

Smart Industry
Biomanufacturing, Fabrics, Facilities, Manufacturing, Materials, Photonics, Workforce
How Collaborative Manufacturing Facilities are Impacting Industry’s Future

Manufacturing keeps evolving—and the facilities that house manufacturing in the U.S. are also changing and innovating. Given that 54% of domestic R&D occurred in manufacturing in 2021, according to the National Science Foundation, it makes sense for industrial facilities to be the places that enable experimentation and encourage product development...

Our Network @ Work

ARM Workforce Development
AFFOA, AIM Photonics, America Makes, ARM, CESMII, CyManII, IACMI, NextFlex, PowerAmerica
Additive Manufacturing, Education, Fabrics, Flexible Hybrid Electronics, Materials, Photonics, Power Electronics, Robotics, Sustainable Manufacturing, Workforce
Building Momentum in Regional Ecosystems

Manufacturing evolved in the United States through geographic clusters that produced competitive advantages in expertise, scale of operations, research prowess, and skilled labor. The origin of the automotive sector is an example of a regional cluster, with vehicles assembled in the Detroit area from parts and components manufactured in the upper...