Congressman Honda led a letter to Secretary of Defense Carter advocating that the new Manufacturing Innovation Institute be located in Silicon Valley and headed up by San-Jose based FlexTech Alliance.
Congressman Honda led a letter to Secretary of Defense Carter advocating that the new Manufacturing Innovation Institute be located in Silicon Valley and headed up by San-Jose based FlexTech Alliance.
Congressman Honda led a letter to Secretary of Defense Carter advocating that the new Manufacturing Innovation Institute be located in Silicon Valley and headed up by San-Jose based FlexTech Alliance.
Congress of the United States
Washington, DE 20515
Tune 19, 2015
‘The Honorable Ashton Carter
Secretary of Defense
1300 Defense Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301
Dear Secretary Carter,
‘As members of the California delegation, we are writing to express our strong support for the
California-led FlexTech Alliance application for the Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing
Innovation Institute (FHE-MI).
Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) is an emerging technology that has the potential to reshape the
electronics industry. Electronic devices can now be printed and attached to flexible, conformal
materials like fabric or curved surfaces. FHE applications are diverse, with private companies as well
as the US military exploring FHEs for wearable electronics and smart electronics in consumer goods,
healthcare, computers, telecommunications, and defense. At a time when other countries are investing
heavily in flexible hybrid electronics, the Department of Defense Flexible Hybrid Electronic
Manufacturing Innovation Institute will serve as an important catalyst to bring together FHE exper
and technologies throughout our country and focus investment in this budding field.
This effort is being led by the FlexTech Alliance, a San Jose-based nonprofit trade association
chartered to ensure a robust supply chain for flexible printable electronics, and includes a diverse
partnership of California based private industry leaders — including Qualcomm, Applied Materials, and
Flextronics, trade associations ~ including Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International
(SEMD) and academic institutions ~ including the University of California, San Diego; the University
of California, Los Angeles; the University of California, Santa Barbara; the University of California,
Berkeley; the University of California, San Francisco; San Jose State University; California
Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; and Stanford University. FlexTech Alliance has a 20
year history of partnering with the Department of Defense, other federal agencies, and the private
sector to ensure a robust supply chain of flexible electronics in the United States and advance
technologies critical to national security and commercial end users.
We believe that California is a natural and ideal location for this FHE Institute. Locating the institute in
California will enable collaboration between California's IC industry and other leading technology
companies, defense contractors, academic institutions, and end-users, bringing together the talent
required for success and launching a new electronics revolution in our nation. The FHE-MI sited in
California will grow the new FHE workforce, ensure a robust education pipeline, and yield a new
industry sector aligned directly with California’s semiconductor integrated circuit industry. The
FlexTech Alliance application has over 70 team members from across the country and has already
secured nonfederal funding commitments of more than 150% of the Department of Defense
contribution. Flexible hybrid electronics is an exciting and game changing new field, and California isthe ideal place for a Manufacturing Innovation Institute to ensure that this new electronics revolution
continues to be led by the United States.
We strongly support the California-led FlexTech Alliance application and appreciate your full and fair
consideration, in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Sincerely,
) .
: ( ~ SS
Micha t Wh Hand hx® OS
Michael M. Honda 1a G. Eshoo Zoe Ldfgren
Member of Congress. Member of Congress Member of Congress
‘Adam Schiff Alan S. Lowenthal Mike Thompson
Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress
gS Lil W. sLocz ~~ [ray
Julia Brownk Ted Liew Tony
Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress
Grace F. Napoli
Member of Congress
Meniber of CongressEric Swalwell
Member of Congress Memter of Congress
'
Jim Costa ‘Ami Bera
Member of Congress Member of Congress
Lois Capps Barbara Lee
Member of Congress Member of Congress ‘Member of Congress
yuu Hither. (FPA
Jagkie Speier Janice Hahn Mark Takanc
lember of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress
Y