California Governor's Office of Planning and Research: CADENCE Program
Check out this webinar recording to learn how we can support your business by providing assistance and access to leading edge FHE design, prototyping, and low-volume additive manufacturing services through its Technology Hub in San Jose.
NextFlex has received a $600,000 grant from the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to support California’s defense innovation and advanced manufacturing ecosystem through small business development. Funding comes from the DoD Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program that is designed to strengthen the national security innovation base. California is one of six Defense Manufacturing Communities across the nation.
NextFlex was selected to receive the grant due to its expertise in flexible hybrid electronics, which are revolutionizing electronics by making them thin, low-cost, lightweight, bendable, stretchable, and able to conform to almost any shape. With the grant funds, we will support small businesses in the California defense industrial base by providing access to leading edge FHE design, prototyping, and low-volume additive manufacturing services through its Technology Hub in San Jose.
NextFlex is authorized to recruit and vet projects related to FHE, additive electronics manufacturing and advanced packaging for small companies that need help with design, prototyping, low volume manufacturing and testing/characterization of defense-oriented devices and systems.
Qualified small businesses can apply for assistance to help convert existing product designs to flexible ones or to develop entirely new printed flexible electronics.
“The erosion of American manufacturing capacity and capability over the last several decades threatens to undermine the ability of U.S. suppliers in the innovation and manufacturing base to meet national security requirements. Addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach that builds on close partnerships between DoD, state and local governments, institutions of higher education, business, and non-profit organizations. California’s defense innovation and manufacturing ecosystems play a premier role in safeguarding the mission readiness and enhancing the lethality of the American Armed Forces. NextFlex and FHE are well positioned to advance DoD modernization priorities, particularly with small manufacturers who are essential to the long-term economic vitality of the state.”
– Eileen Sanchez, CADENCE Program Manager with the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
What is CADENCE?
The State of California Office of Planning and Research won, through a competitive proposal process, access to a program called California Advanced Defense Ecosystems & National Consortia Effort (CADENCE) under the auspices of the US Department of Defense, Defense Manufacturing Community Support program. Designated by the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Sustainment) as a Defense Manufacturing Community, the California Advanced Defense Ecosystems & National Consortia Effort (CADENCE) program will strengthen the resiliency of the national security innovation and manufacturing base through a series of investments in technical assistance, workforce development, research and analysis, and knowledge sharing project components that will: support critical manufacturing sectors that provide key resources to the American warfighter and to commercial innovation; address DoD’s modernization priorities, key policies, guidance and directives; and help maintain the national security manufacturing sector as one of the largest economic drivers in the State of California.
The CADENCE project activities will focus on supporting California suppliers in the defense innovation and manufacturing base who are involved in the advancement of these specific key technologies or supply chains including microelectronics, fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology, cyber, space, artificial intelligence, and fully networked command, control and communications (FNC3).
What is NextFlex?
NextFlex is one of nine Manufacturing Innovation Institutes established by the DoD Manufacturing Technology Program created to accelerate technological innovation and commercialization through pre-competitive partnerships. Our member network includes small, medium and large industry companies; academic institutions; and government partners. Through this community of technologists, educators, problem solvers and manufacturers, NextFlex collectively facilitates innovation, narrows the advanced manufacturing workforce gap and promotes sustainable manufacturing ecosystems.
NextFlex and its members are focused on the manufacturability of flexible, conformal, thin, and stretchable smart devices and systems with an emphasis on solutions combining thinned silicon with a variety of substrates and utilizing the additive manufacturing process as part of the design. The consortium focuses its funded development projects on application areas in medical wearable electronics, structural health and asset monitoring, antenna arrays, flexible robotics and flexible power with over $100M invested since NextFlex’s start in August of 2015.
In addition, NextFlex also has its own pilot-scale advanced manufacturing line in San Jose, California. Here, we fabricate fully integrated flexible hybrid electronics devices and systems utilizing additive manufacturing processes and tools to transform flexible substrates, electrical materials, and thinned semiconductor devices into thin, lightweight electronics that can bend, flex, conform and stretch. Capabilities at the Technology Hub include design and prototyping, assembly, print, laser processing, design, simulation and print for RF and antennas, device programming and test and characterization. Our state-of-the-art class 10,000 clean room, equipment and manufacturing processes are FDA approved for medical devices and ITAR compliant for defense projects.
Who can apply?
Any small California-based company or any small US-based company with operations in California.
How do I learn more?
Check out this webinar recording to learn more about how you can apply for assistance from this grant from the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to support California’s defense innovation and manufacturing ecosystem through small business development.
Qualified small businesses can apply for assistance to help convert existing product designs to flexible ones or to develop an entirely new device.