Raleigh, N.C.-based NC State University will lead FutureTEX, a 10-year Department of War initiative to modernize U.S. textile manufacturing for defense and domestic applications. The award includes $36 million in its first year and has a $480 million ceiling over a decade.
FutureTEX will unite industry, government, university and nonprofit partners to advance textile manufacturing technology, workforce development, and facility and equipment modernization. Core partners include Drexel University, Gaston College, Georgia Tech, ISAIC and UMass Lowell.
“FutureTEX is focused on creating a cutting-edge national ecosystem for defense textiles that simply doesn’t exist today,” said David Hinks, FutureTEX chief strategic partnerships officer and dean of NC State’s Wilson College of Textiles.
NC State and Gaston College will establish a nonprofit to oversee the initiative, headquartered at Gaston College’s Kimbrell Campus in Belmont, North Carolina.
“North Carolina and Gaston County have deep roots in the textile industry,” said Gaston College President John Hauser. “We are uniquely positioned to propel this manufacturing innovation institute forward.”
2026 Quarterly Issue III
