Drexel University is going to participate in a new 10-year effort to modernize domestic textile manufacturing, with around $480 million in funding from the US Department of Defence.
It is well to be noted that North Carolina State University is leading the FutureTEX initiative, which is a $36 million first-year budget program that brings together organizations to establish advanced textile manufacturing technologies when it comes to defence and domestic applications.
The Philadelphia node from FutureTEX will be hosted by Drexel’s Center for Functional Fabrics, facilitating work across Pennsylvania. The center manages a 10,000-square-foot facility, which is equivalent to a 929-square-meter manufacturing facility and has backed federal advanced manufacturing initiatives for over a decade.
Notably, FutureTEX seeks to help U.S. manufacturers to establish digital infrastructure along with other emerging systems to reinforce the domestic supply network and enhance the competitive edge of the defence industrial base.
As a step to modernize domestic textile manufacturing, Drexel researchers will work together with industry so as to develop high-performance textiles, digital modelling, as well as design tools, AI-based design platforms, along with digital twin technology. The center also plans to create a database of materials and manufacturing processes and an outline of present-day advanced textile capabilities.
Core partners in the initiative are Gaston College, Drexel, NC State, Georgia Tech, the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center, as well as the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
U.S. Defence Goes to Colleges
It is worth noting that FutureTEX is part of a broader push to translate university research into defence technology development.
XRDNA and the University of Utah have announced a multi-year research collaboration in May 2026 in order to create new technologies when it comes to defence, sensing, aerospace, and digital infrastructure. The partnership will enable collaborative research projects by bringing together resources and coordinating development activities.
In April 2026, the US Air Force unveiled Alpha Blue, a program that calls on students to create swiftly deployable counter-drone solutions for small aerial hazards.
Clemson University launched a National Security Institute in March 2026 to boost defence research and workforce development and build stronger ties with the US government and defence industry.