Governments worldwide are partnering with industry and academia to boost research into the field of printed and flexible electronics. For example, the European Union (EU) has put considerable financial resources into a host of projects. In the US, the most notable project is NextFlex, which is helping to advance manufacturing capabilities for flexible hybrid electronics.
On the state level, there is not much in terms of programs to develop flexible electronics. The most effective program is being offered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which launched the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2), providing it with more than $100 million in funding.
The M2I2 was launched by the administration of Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito in early 2016 and is jointly managed by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development and MassTech, a public economic development agency. Its goal is to help Massachusetts manufacturers develop and implement innovative new technologies and guide its investments in the national Manufacturing USA program utilizing Massachusetts’ deep resources.
“M2I2 builds upon the state’s superior academics, R&D, deep innovation ecosystem and long history of manufacturing,” said Ira Moskowitz, director of Advanced Manufacturing Programs, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. “It deepens these assets by linking Massachusetts companies, universities, community colleges, vocational high schools, national labs, new ventures, government, and Manufacturing USA, propelling advanced manufacturing across ecosystems and promoting intersections as technology converges.”
Moskowitz noted that Massachusetts has committed almost $100 million toward this effort.
“Our investment is focused on four of the national Manufacturing USA Institutes, supporting projects in flexible hybrid electronics that fall under the national NextFlex Institute, as well as those in the ARM Institute (robotics), the AIM Photonics Institute (integrated photonics), and the AFFOA Institute (advanced functional fabrics),” he added.
“Co-investing in projects like these makes complete sense for the Commonwealth, as these grants support collaboration among our leading companies and universities, but also cross-sector projects that involve several national labs and tech accelerators that call Massachusetts home,” Moskowitz noted. ”A good example of that cross-sector investment is the Fabric Discovery Center at UMass Lowell, which is the only facility in the nation to house development work in three national manufacturing institutes under one roof. The cross-pollination that occurs between printed electronics, advanced functional fabrics and robotics is exciting to see unfold, particularly in a place like Lowell, which is home to a national park dedicated to its textile manufacturing heritage. It’s a continuation of that city’s legacy of innovation.”
Moskowitz said that Massachusetts “most definitely” sees flexible and printed electronics as an industry with growth potential in the state, having previously invested in the technology.
“Before M2I2 was launched, MassTech’s Innovation Institute made a $4 million dollar commitment to the Printed Electronics Research Collaborative, or PERC project, housed at UMass Lowell,” Moskowitz said. “That was one of Governor Baker’s first announcements after coming into office in January 2015. Again, that was funded through a separate program, called the Collaborative Research Matching Grant program, which invests in tech sectors where Massachusetts can play a global leadership role.
“M2I2 has targeted an investment of an additional $20 million in flexible hybrid electronics infrastructure,” he added. “In addition, on Sept. 18, 2018, NextFlex announced the formation of the NextFlex Massachusetts Node in order to further support the FHE community in Massachusetts. The purpose of the Node is to foster collaboration among all Massachusetts NextFlex members, anchor a regional mechanism for workforce development activities to support the emerging regional supply chain, reinforce the national NextFlex mission to facilitate FHE technology innovation, and complement and improve connectivity to the NextFlex Technology Hub in San Jose, CA.”
Moskowitz noted that Massachusetts can use its resources to help companies and academia grow in the field of printed electronics.
“In printed electronics, it’s finding areas where we can make strategic investments that help increase access to cutting-edge tools for growing Massachusetts manufacturers, while also looking at ways we can advance training opportunities for workers in the industry and for students at our higher education institutions,” he added.
A 30-year veteran of semiconductor technology development and manufacturing, both with Bell Labs and Analog Devices, Moskowitz sees good opportunities ahead. For example, he said that a good example of a project supported by NextFlex and M2I2 is being led by Carpe Diem Technologies in Franklin, MA.
“Our grant of $2.15 million is supporting their work with UMass Amherst and three other manufacturers across the state, developing new economic opportunities around roll-to-roll manufacturing systems and modules with nano-imprint lithography,” he continued. “The project will help increase each company’s ability to scale-up and address the new market opportunities that exist in diverse applications from air filters and medical devices.
“These types of collaborations are good for the company’s future and for the universities, as they build ties to regional employers,” Moskowitz added. “For the Commonwealth, the manufacturers involved are located in different parts of the state, helping spread the potential economic and hiring benefits.”
SI2 Technologies is another company that is developing new technologies.
“SI2 Technologies is a defense-focused contractor based in Billerica, MA, that is working closely with NextFlex, UMass Lowell, and other manufacturers on three separate M2I2-funded projects,” said Moskowitz. “They’re developing new, flexible electronic antennas for autonomous, hypersonic vehicles. They’re also working with a collaboration of manufacturers to develop a large, multi-axis, gantry system to digitally and conformally print flexible hybrid electronics directly onto large complex surfaces. That type of system can help in the manufacturing of defense applications such as radomes and UAV body panels.”
Moskowitz said that digital health is an area of emphasis for M212.
“Digital health is another key economic development focus of our agency and a core strength here in Massachusetts, given our wealth of healthcare expertise. The Greater Boston area is known for its innovation prowess but western Massachusetts, where our flagship university is located, has a strong manufacturing history, so building that east/west connection is critical from a workforce perspective,” Moskowitz added.
Moskowitz said that working with NextFlex has been a benefit for M212.
“We’re honored to host the NextFlex Massachusetts Node, to help drive further collaboration like those highlighted above,” he added. “We have great engagement from leading NextFlex members here in Massachusetts, companies like Raytheon, SI2, Carpe Diem, Flex, Lockheed Martin, Jabil, Flexcon, and E Ink. When you look at the M2I2 projects, our university grantees are also working with top-tier NextFlex companies from outside the state, leaders like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Eastman Chemical.
“Dr. Malcolm Thompson, the executive director of NextFlex, toured SI2 Technologies with us back in 2018 and we recently hosted Scott Miller, NextFlex’s director of strategic programs, at our recent grant announcement in July. They’ve been exceptional partners for us here in Massachusetts, not only through their investment, but their technical insights as well.”
