NextFlex is a consortium of American electronics companies, academic institutions, non-profits and state, local and federal government partners with the shared goal of advancing U.S. manufacturing of printed flexible electronics. Since its formation in 2015, the NextFlex community of technologists, educators, problem solvers and manufacturers have come together to collectively facilitate FHE innovation, narrow the advanced manufacturing workforce gap and promote sustainable electronics manufacturing ecosystems.
NextFlex is one of eight Manufacturing Innovation Institutes established by the DoD Manufacturing Technology Program as public-private partnerships and is funded through the AFRL Cooperative Agreement FA8650-20-2-5506.
NextFlex’s pilot-scale manufacturing line, the Technology Hub, is compliant with both International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) manufacturing standards for defense equipment and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) manufacturing standards for medical devices. NextFlex’s Quality System adheres to the intent of the ITAR standards for the export of defense-related articles, services and technology on the U.S. Munitions List (USML).
All defense device products and components produced at the NextFlex fabrication facility are manufactured consistently to meet those requirements, which include standards for military electronics, materials, guidance equipment and related items. In addition, NextFlex’s Quality System adheres to the intent of the FDA’s regulations for good manufacturing practices. All medical device products and components produced at the NextFlex facility are manufactured consistently to meet Quality System Regulations (QSR) requirements.
