11.28.16
Lockheed Martin, a global security and aerospace company, has solidified its role as a corporate Tier 1 member of NextFlex, America’s Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) Manufacturing Innovation Institute. More than 50 companies, universities and other industry organizations have become members of NextFlex, a testament to the growing interest surrounding FHE manufacturing.
NextFlex, a Manufacturing USA institute, mobilizes companies, academic institutions, nonprofits, and state and local governments toward a single goal: to advance America’s FHE manufacturing ecosystem. Members gain access to manufacturing capabilities, project funding and other technical activities for human/structural monitoring, communications and robotics, as well as workforce development.
“Without a collaborative approach to build an ecosystem, it would take years and significant investment for a company to create the infrastructure to support mass production of FHE - a challenge NextFlex is circumventing with the help of its members,” Dr. Malcolm Thompson, executive director of NextFlex, noted. “NextFlex is fortunate to have the support from Lockheed Martin and our other members to bring this goal to fruition.”
As part of its Tier 1 membership, Lockheed Martin has appointed James P. Libous to the NextFlex Governing Council. Libous, a Lockheed Martin Fellow, currently directs Lockheed Martin’s enterprise-level Advanced Electronics technology and innovation strategy, and is spearheading the corporation’s partnership with the electronics-focused Manufacturing USA institutes.
“Lockheed Martin is continually pushing the limits of technology to help solve the world’s most critical challenges and hybrid electronics has the potential to bring significant performance improvements and new design standards for aerospace and defense applications,” said Jeff Wilcox, VP of engineering and program operations at Lockheed Martin. “We look forward to our work with NextFlex on defining the direction of technologies for structural monitoring and robotics and demonstrating their potential through projects with partner organizations.”
NextFlex, a Manufacturing USA institute, mobilizes companies, academic institutions, nonprofits, and state and local governments toward a single goal: to advance America’s FHE manufacturing ecosystem. Members gain access to manufacturing capabilities, project funding and other technical activities for human/structural monitoring, communications and robotics, as well as workforce development.
“Without a collaborative approach to build an ecosystem, it would take years and significant investment for a company to create the infrastructure to support mass production of FHE - a challenge NextFlex is circumventing with the help of its members,” Dr. Malcolm Thompson, executive director of NextFlex, noted. “NextFlex is fortunate to have the support from Lockheed Martin and our other members to bring this goal to fruition.”
As part of its Tier 1 membership, Lockheed Martin has appointed James P. Libous to the NextFlex Governing Council. Libous, a Lockheed Martin Fellow, currently directs Lockheed Martin’s enterprise-level Advanced Electronics technology and innovation strategy, and is spearheading the corporation’s partnership with the electronics-focused Manufacturing USA institutes.
“Lockheed Martin is continually pushing the limits of technology to help solve the world’s most critical challenges and hybrid electronics has the potential to bring significant performance improvements and new design standards for aerospace and defense applications,” said Jeff Wilcox, VP of engineering and program operations at Lockheed Martin. “We look forward to our work with NextFlex on defining the direction of technologies for structural monitoring and robotics and demonstrating their potential through projects with partner organizations.”
