TEXTILES.ORG
Advanced Functional Fabrics of America Inc. (AFFOA) celebrated the opening of its new headquarters with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 135 South Road, Bedford, Mass. The event brought industry leaders, government partners, academic institutions, and startup innovators together to mark this milestone in AFFOA’s mission to accelerate textile technology and manufacturing breakthroughs to safeguard the nation, advance industry and improve quality of life.
“Our new facility enables AFFOA to expand its technical development capabilities, better serve the US advanced textile ecosystem, and create an environment to inspire the next generation of innovators,” says Sasha Stolyarov, Ph.D., CEO of AFFOA. “We are grateful to our members and partners who attended and are looking forward to leveraging this new space as a hub for collaboration, innovation, and workforce development.”
The ceremony featured remarks from a distinguished group of leaders at the forefront of advanced manufacturing and textile innovation:
- Sasha Stolyarov, Ph.D., CEO of AFFOA
- Lily Fitzgerald, director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
- Eric Evans, Ph.D., chair of the AFFOA Board of Directors, director emeritus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory, and Professor of Practice and Senior Fellow at MIT
Following the ribbon cutting, guests toured AFFOA’s new state-of-the-art facilities, gaining firsthand insight into the organization’s extensive end-to-end development capabilities and technical expertise. The tour provided a compelling window into cutting-edge research and development in functional fabrics and wearable technologies, showcasing the breadth and depth of innovation across the U.S. advanced textiles ecosystem.