NextFlex Announces New Affiliated Alabama ‘Node’ to Support Growing National Hybrid Electronics Community

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NextFlex®, America's Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute, announced the launch of a new Alabama Node. The Alabama Node will accelerate the commercialization of hybrid electronics by boosting innovation, technology transition, and adoption.

(L-R): Thomas "Tommy" M. Battle, Jr, Mayor of Huntsville; Rex Reynolds, Alabama State Representative; Dr. Scott Miller, Director of Technology, NextFlex; Dr. Mario Eden, Dean of Engineering, Auburn University; Dr. Pradeep Lall, Director, Electronics Packaging Research Institute, MacFarlane Distinguished Professor & Alumni Professor, Auburn University; Dr. Dan Gamota, Executive Director, NextFlex; Sam Givhan, Alabama State Senator; Steve Taylor, Senior Vice President of Research, AU Initiatives.

NextFlex Nodes serve as regional hubs for collaboration, providing the industry and supply chain access to facilities, equipment, and infrastructure that fast-track hybrid electronics design, development, and manufacturing adoption. They also extend the reach of NextFlex's advanced manufacturing education and workforce development programs, while supporting the national mission to drive technology innovation, strengthen the U.S. manufacturing workforce, and promote strong and competitive advanced manufacturing in America.

"The launch of the Alabama Node represents another significant step toward realizing our national vision for hybrid electronics innovation and commercialization," said Dan Gamota, Executive Director of NextFlex. "By partnering with Auburn University and the State of Alabama, we're expanding the reach of hybrid electronics manufacturing collaboration and workforce development, while strengthening the nation's capacity to design, build, and deploy cutting-edge electronics for automotive, aerospace, and defense applications. Together, we're accelerating the pace of innovation and ensuring that U.S. manufacturing remains globally competitive for decades to come."

The Alabama Node will be led by Auburn University, working in close partnership with the State of Alabama and additional industrial and academic partners. A $20 million State of Alabama grant will fund electronics manufacturing infrastructure, analysis capabilities, and support technology, workforce, and economic development statewide.

Auburn University's Senior Vice-President for Research and Economic Development, Dr. Steve Taylor, said, "The establishment of the NextFlex Alabama Node at Auburn University will enable new mechanisms for small, medium, and large enterprises in the State of Alabama to achieve retrenchment of US domestic electronics manufacturing using additive-manufactured electronics. The Alabama Node has been built upon the work of Auburn University's Electronics Packaging Research Institute over the last 25 years, and more recently, as a Tier-1 Founding Member of the NextFlex Manufacturing Innovation Institute over the last 10 years. Auburn University's Prof. Pradeep Lall, a NextFlex Fellow, who led the establishment of the Alabama Node, is a world-renowned expert in additive-manufactured electronics and will serve as the Node's Director."

"Hybrid electronics are revolutionizing the automotive and aerospace sectors by delivering lightweight, sophisticated, and highly efficient systems that significantly elevate performance and safety. Whether it's touch control interfaces, advanced driver-assistance systems, or state-of-the-art avionics, hybrid electronics are at the forefront of innovation. These developments are also driving the electrification of vehicles and aircraft, resulting in electric ground and airborne platforms with greater fuel efficiency and lower emissions," said Pradeep Lall, MacFarlane Distinguished Professor and Alumni Professor at Auburn University, and the Academic Co-Lead of NextFlex's Automotive and Asset Monitoring Technical Working Groups.

Priority technology areas of focus for the NextFlex Alabama Node include advanced packaging for electronics in harsh environments and additive printed electronics. The Alabama Node is strategically positioned to strengthen regional ties, leveraging the state's robust commercial and defense manufacturing base in areas such as aerospace, automotive, and shipbuilding. By doing so, it will boost the competitiveness of the regional hybrid electronics supply chain and complement the capabilities of the NextFlex Technology Hub in San Jose, California.

This marks the fourth regional Node established by NextFlex, joining existing Nodes in New York, Massachusetts, and Missouri, underscoring the growing momentum of hybrid electronics across the nation.