Current Focus Areas

 

Manufacturing Thrust Areas (MTAs)

 

Device Integration & Packaging (DIP)

The Device Integration & Packaging (DIP) Technical Working Group tackles one of the most complex aspects of hybrid electronics manufacturing: reliably assembling and protecting diverse materials, thinned silicon chips, sensors, and flexible circuits into integrated systems. The group’s focus on advanced packaging solutions, including complex assembly, fine-pitch interconnects, and conformal encapsulation, ensures that hybrid electronics systems can withstand harsh mechanical, thermal, and environmental stresses. DIP enables manufacturable and scalable packaging innovations essential for high-reliability defense, medical, wearable, and aerospace applications.

Near-Term Impact: Mature assembly and precision interconnect packaging processes for ultra-thin die assembly and high-density heterogeneous integration.

Long-Term Vision: Create fully automated additively manufactured system-in-package (SiP) platforms integrating sensors, processors, antennas, and power systems into hybrid modules.

 

Materials (Mats)

The Materials Technical Working Group serves as the foundation for advancing hybrid electronics by developing high-performance material systems designed to meet the rigorous demands of defense, aerospace, industrial, and high-reliability commercial applications. The group focuses on engineering new conductors, dielectrics, substrates, adhesives, encapsulants, and barrier layers capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, wide thermal cycling, corrosive and chemical exposures, high mechanical strain, humidity, and radiation environments. These material innovations enable hybrid electronics to perform reliably in mission-critical environments where conventional materials fail, while also supporting manufacturability, long service life, and supply chain resilience across the hybrid electronics ecosystem.

Near-Term Impact: Qualify advanced material systems for hybrid electronics that can withstand harsh environmental conditions — including high heat, cold, humidity, vibration, and exposure to fuels, lubricants, or corrosive agents.

Long-Term Vision: Develop next-generation materials specifically engineered to enable hybrid electronics to operate reliably in extreme environments ensuring long-duration performance for defense, aerospace, energy, and industrial applications.

 

Modeling & Design (M&D)

The Modeling & Design (M&D) Technical Working Group underpins hybrid electronics innovation by developing multi-physics simulation tools and AI-driven design workflows. Their work reduces costly trial-and-error prototyping, accelerates design cycles, and ensures new hybrid electronic devices meet stringent reliability, performance, and manufacturability requirements. By integrating mechanical, electrical, and thermal modeling, the M&D group establishes a digital foundation for rapid and scalable hybrid electronics manufacturing.

Near-Term Impact: Apply AI- and ML-driven design automation to optimize hybrid electronics component layouts and predictive reliability modeling.

Long-Term Vision: Enable fully autonomous, multi-physics digital design platforms capable of generating optimized hybrid electronics systems from functional requirements without manual intervention.

 

Printed Components & Microfluidics (PCMF)

The Printed Components & Microfluidics (PCMF) Technical Working Group transforms hybrid electronics manufacturing through high-resolution additive processes that integrate conductive, dielectric, and microfluidic elements onto flexible and complex 3D substrates. These advances unlock novel capabilities in biosensing, diagnostics, and environmental monitoring while minimizing waste and manufacturing costs. PCMF’s innovation supports both healthcare and industrial markets by enabling scalable, high-performance printed hybrid electronic devices.

Near-Term Impact: Mature multilayer additive manufacturing processes for high-density interconnects in advanced semiconductor packaging, multilayer printed circuit boards.

Long-Term Vision: Build fully autonomous additive manufacturing platforms producing complex hybrid devices that combine electronic, fluidic, and sensing capabilities for mass deployment.

 

Standards, Test & Reliability (STR)

The Standards, Test & Reliability (STR) Technical Working Group provides the essential foundation for validating hybrid electronics technologies prior to deployment. By developing rigorous testing protocols, accelerated life-testing methods, and predictive reliability models, the STR group ensures hybrid electronics meet the stringent operational requirements of defense, aerospace, medical, and industrial environments. This validation is critical to enable wide adoption and confidence in hybrid electronics across multiple sectors.

Near-Term Impact: Conduct multi-axis flexing and environmental reliability studies to validate hybrid electronics systems for defense and aerospace operational conditions.

Long-Term Vision: Develop comprehensive predictive digital twin models for hybrid electronics system lifetime under full operational load profiles.

 

Technology Platform Demonstrators (TPDs)

 

Asset Monitoring Systems (AMS)

The Asset Monitoring Systems (AMS) Technical Working Group is pioneering the embedding of hybrid electronics directly into critical platforms such as aircraft, vehicles, and infrastructure. This transformative approach enables continuous, real-time structural health monitoring and predictive maintenance, significantly enhancing operational reliability and reducing downtime. AMS leverages advanced sensors, wireless communication, and data analytics to transition maintenance from scheduled intervals to condition-based strategies, thereby extending asset lifespans and improving mission readiness.

Near-Term Impact: Develop scalable hybrid electronics-based structural health monitoring demonstrators for predictive maintenance in military aircraft and critical infrastructure assets.

Long-Term Vision: Enable self-monitoring systems that autonomously assess their own health and feed real-time data into digital twin models across entire fleets and infrastructure grids.

 

Automotive (Auto)

The Automotive Technical Working Group is redefining vehicle architecture by embedding hybrid electronics directly into automotive structures. By integrating flexible circuits, antennas, sensors, and smart interfaces directly into dashboards, panels, and bodywork, the Auto group significantly reduces complexity and weight compared to traditional wiring harnesses and rigid modules. These advancements support next-generation automotive systems, including electric vehicles, autonomous driving platforms, and advanced defense vehicles, leading to improved vehicle efficiency, performance, and reliability.

Near-Term Impact: Demonstrate in-mold hybrid electronics systems for smart interior surfaces and weight-saving wire harness replacements in electric and defense vehicles.

Long-Term Vision: Fully embed hybrid electronics into vehicle structures for autonomous platforms, integrating sensing, power, communications, and control directly into structural panels.

 

Flexible Power (FP)

The Flexible Power (FP) Technical Working Group addresses the critical need for power systems that seamlessly integrate with hybrid electronics devices. Conventional rigid batteries limit the form and function of flexible electronics; FP develops thin, lightweight, stretchable batteries, supercapacitors, and energy-harvesting solutions tailored to flexible form factors. This work is crucial for enabling untethered, autonomous operation of wearable and embedded hybrid electronics in fields such as defense, medical monitoring, and consumer electronics.

Near-Term Impact: Integrate flexible thin-film energy storage into wearable and embedded hybrid electronics demonstrators for extended autonomous operation.

Long-Term Vision: Enable hybrid electronics systems with fully integrated energy harvesting, storage, and wireless power transfer for persistent, untethered operation.

 

Human Monitoring Systems (HMS)

The Human Monitoring Systems (HMS) Technical Working Group develops flexible and wearable hybrid electronics systems for continuous, real-time monitoring of physiological, biochemical, and cognitive states. These advanced monitoring solutions provide essential data for health management, performance optimization, and safety in demanding environments such as military operations, athletics, and healthcare settings. By enabling precise, personalized insights into human health and performance, HMS supports improved outcomes through early detection, timely interventions, and enhanced situational awareness.

Near-Term Impact: Develop platform demonstrators of hybrid electronics-based wearable systems for continuous physiological monitoring and long-duration performance tracking.

Long-Term Vision: Realize continuous, implantable hybrid electronics systems capable of real-time multi-modal physiological and neural monitoring with adaptive therapeutic capabilities.

 

Integrated Antenna Array (IAA)

The Integrated Antenna Array (IAA) Technical Working Group focuses on the scalable manufacturing of conformal, printed antenna systems integrated directly into structural elements of vehicles, aircraft, satellites, and other platforms. This approach significantly reduces size, weight, and complexity, while enhancing communication, sensing, and electronic warfare capabilities. By embedding antenna arrays seamlessly into platforms, IAA enables advanced wireless performance without compromising structural integrity or aerodynamic properties, thereby improving overall system effectiveness and operational capability.

Near-Term Impact: Demonstrate conformal, printed antenna systems for UAVs, satellites, and space platforms using thermoformed and 3D-printed hybrid electronics.

Long-Term Vision: Fully integrate adaptive beamforming antenna arrays into vehicle skins, UAV airframes, and CubeSat structures with embedded hybrid electronics.

 

Soft & Wearable Robotics (SWR)

The Soft & Wearable Robotics (SWR) Technical Working Group enables safe, adaptive, and autonomous robotic systems by integrating hybrid electronics into soft, compliant structures. These advanced robotic platforms excel in environments where rigid robots are ineffective, providing enhanced interaction with humans and adaptive responses to unpredictable scenarios. SWR develops solutions ranging from assistive exoskeletons and minimally invasive surgical devices to autonomous inspection and logistics robots, significantly expanding the operational envelope for robotics in both commercial and defense contexts.

Near-Term Impact: Deploy soft robotic systems for soldier augmentation, industrial repair, and inspection missions in confined or hazardous spaces.

Long-Term Vision: Build fully autonomous soft robotic systems that combine hybrid electronics, AI, and distributed sensing for next-generation defense, healthcare, and logistics operations.