NextFlex News – July 2025

Dear NextFlex Friends and Supporters,

On July 8^th, OSD ManTech hosted the eight DoD Manufacturing Innovation Institutes at the Pentagon to enable a group of senior leaders to learn more about the impact of the MIIs and the ManTech Program. NextFlex brought a wide array of demonstrators to represent several application areas, including wearable devices for human performance, medical and safety, munitions and explosive ordinance disposal, semiconductor packaging, and RF & communications electronics. Dr. Scott Miller and NextFlex’s Government Program Manager, Mr. Jeff Bergman, were on hand to share transition successes in hybrid electronics, including how the technology is being deployed in both commercial and defense applications.

At left, Hon. Emil Michael, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and Department of Defense Chief Technology Officer, reinforced the importance of the ManTech Program whose mission is to anticipate and close gaps in manufacturing capabilities for affordable, timely, and low-risk development, production, and sustainment of defense systems through technology development and adoption.

Organized by OSD ManTech, the annual “Pentagon Day” event has proven to be extremely effective at attracting Pentagon leadership attention to the program. Positioned in two of the Apex hallways, invited visitors and passersby have an opportunity to learn about manufacturing sectors and solutions from the eight different Manufacturing Institutes including: AIM Photonics, America Makes, ARM, BioMade, BioFabUSA, LIFT, MXD, and NextFlex, as well as the DoD Service ManTech programs.

We thank the following organizations for providing demonstrators for this important DoD event:

• Shield Heat Sensor for Worker Safety – Vigilife, Aptima, NextFlex, AFRL
• Wearable Confined Space Monitor for Worker Safety – Vigilife, Aptima, NextFlex, AFRL
• Asset & Facility Monitoring for the OIB – Aptima, NextFlex, ONR, NAVSEA
• Spiral Antenna Conformal Printing onto Complex 3D Surfaces – Lockheed Martin, Fabric8Labs, Binghamton University
• Folded Rotman Lens for Beam Steering for EW and Radar – Lockheed Martin, Binghamton University, Optomec, AFRL
• Integrated Head Protection System (IHPS) RAILINK Infrastructure – GENTEX Corp, DEVCOM Soldier Center
• Quantum Electrochemical Spectroscopy Test Vial – Probius, NextFlex
• NextFlex Micrcontroller Demonstrator – AFRL, DEVCOM Armaments Center, NextFlex
• Flexible X-Ray Detector – InnovaFlex Foundry, DTRA, OSD ManTech
• Conformal, Multi-Layer Circuits and Frequency Selective Surfaces for Radomes – General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, UMass Lowell
• Hybrid Electronics-Enabled Smart Munitions – IS4S, DEVCOM Armaments Center
• Wearable Sensors for Multi-Domain Operations – Drexel University, AFFOA, DEVCOM Soldier Center, NextFlex

These demonstrators and other transition success stories showcased projects from NextFlex Project Calls, Agency Driven Projects, and ongoing commercial work at the Technology Hub. Together with seven other DoD-sponsored Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, we presented advanced technology to Pentagon senior leaders.

Now that Pentagon Day is over, we are gearing up for our next event. On October 15 & 16, we will be hosting a workshop on Hybrid Electronics for Automotive and Aerospace Applications at the Auburn University Research and Innovation Campus in Hunstville, AL.

Hybrid electronics are revolutionizing the automotive and aerospace industries by enabling sophisticated, lightweight, and highly efficient systems that enhance performance and safety. From touch control human machine interfaces, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) to state-of-the-art avionics, hybrid electronics are at the forefront of technological innovation. These advancements have facilitated the electrification of both the automotive and aerospace platforms through the emergence of ground and airborne EVs that boast improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. The seamless integration of sensors, processors, and communication modules within these hybrid systems is paving the way for a new era of intelligent transportation solutions. Technical focus areas include manufacturing solutions for integration on automotive and aerospace platforms, technology gaps for the integration of hybrid electronics, product demonstrators, and road mapping. The workshop will feature presentations from subject matter experts and networking with NextFlex members and stakeholders. The workshop will conclude with breakout sessions that will align the community and seek to broaden near-term adoption of hybrid electronics.

Registration for the event will open soon. You can fill out our interest form to be notified once registration is open. I hope to see many of you there!

Sincerely,

Dr. Dan Gamota
NextFlex Executive Director