NextFlex News — July 2019 Newsletter
We are gearing up for Innovation Day on August 8 which promises to be another record-breaking event with FHE-enabled demonstrations, a visionary panel discussion, topic-driven networking, and lunch outdoors on the patio. Given the growth of the event, we’ll be constructing a tent in the parking lot behind NextFlex to house the networking activities and the exhibits. What a great problem to have!
Our star-studded panel will be facilitated by Scott Budman, Business and Technology Reporter for NBC Bay Area, and will feature panelists Dr. Patty Chang Chein, Director of Electronics Technology for Boeing Research & Technology, Stephen Frick, Director of Operations, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Advanced Technology Center, Dr. Richard Vaia, Senior Technologist, Emergent Material Systems, AFRL, and myself. It promises to be a stimulating discussion as we explore the societal, business, workforce, and technology transformation that is being catalyzed by flexible hybrid electronics.
For all Project Call 5.0 proposers, I hope that you saw the news that the schedule has been adjusted to give you just a bit more time to develop your proposals. All details are available at nextflex.us, but you should note that proposal cover sheets are now due August 1, and full proposals are now due August 15. Questions and requests for interim reviews with NextFlex staff can be directed to proposal@nextflex.us.
We were pleased to participate last month in an important announcement about Binghamton University’s new Center for Advanced Technology (CAT) that will focus on flexible hybrid medical device manufacturing. The CAT will receive nearly $8.8 million in funding over the next 10 years from Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR). The new center, to be known as FlexMed, will enable researchers at Binghamton University and industry partners to build upon more than a decade of experience in designing and manufacturing flexible electronics. Binghamton University is host to the official New York node of NextFlex and we are delighted to see this exciting development in New York where so much innovation is occurring. The expertise amassed at the CAT aligns well with NextFlex priorities and we look forward to optimizing these investments for the benefit of the flexible hybrid electronics community.
There’s so much to look forward to that we need to remind ourselves to pause and reflect on how far we’ve come. There’s still much to be done, however, and I look forward to working together with you to build our flexible future.
Sincerely,
Malcolm J. Thompson, PhD
Executive Director