Tech Council Meeting

Join NextFlex members and government partners to discuss the latest in technology trends and funded project updates. This virtual event will include interactive live polling throughout as well as several opportunities for attendees to ask questions. The day will conclude with a panel discussion focusing on funding fundamental research.

Agenda (All Times in Pacific Time)

8:00AM – 8:15AM – Agenda Overview, Polling Set-Up, & Technology Update

Dr. Scott Miller will lay out the agenda for the day and explain how attendees can participate in polling. A brief technology update will be outlined.

• Dr. Scott Miller, Director of Technology, NextFlex

8:15AM – 8:45AM – Flexible Microcontroller Project at NextFlex

Jeff Bergman will give an overview of the work completed at NextFlex for the flexible microcontroller (A21) project. It will include Q&A and a live poll where attendees can vote on functionality they would like to see in the future.

• Jeffrey Bergman, Engineering Manager, Systems Design & Simulation, Advanced Technologies Group, NextFlex

8:45AM – 9:15AM – Technology Roadmap Updates and Technical Working Group Survey Results

Dr. Nick Morris will give technology roadmap updates and focus on the gaps across all technical working groups. It will include Q&A. He will also conduct a live poll where attendees can vote on various aspects of the roadmaps.

• Dr. Nick Morris, FHE Technology Manager, NextFlex

9:15AM – 9:30AM – Break

9:30AM – 10:00AM – PC 5.2B Adhesives for Surface Mount and Die Attach

Dr. David Grierson, Principal Investigator on this project, will discuss this funded project’s plan and outcome in depth. This will include Q&A.

• Dr. David Grierson, Co-Founder and CTO, systemech

10:00AM – 10:30AM – Robotic Fab Platform Development at NextFlex

Ben Plattner will discuss the robotic platform that was developed at NextFlex’s Fab that enables flexible manufacturing paths at a lower cost. This will include Q&A.

• Ben Plattner, Engineering Manager, Robotics & Automation, NextFlex

10:30AM – 11:00AM – PC 6.6: Design Tool Development for Printing Conformal Circuits.

David Keicher, Principal Investigator on this project, will discuss the funded project’s update and plan. This will include Q&A.

• David Keicher, Vice President, IDS, Inc

11:00AM – 11:15AM – Break

11:15AM – 12:15PM – Panel Discussion: Bridging Fundamental and Applied Research for FHE Manufacturing

The panel will bring together government agencies focusing on funding fundamental (low TRL) research and NextFlex members who use those funds for FHE manufacturing. This panel will include Q&A.

• Moderator: Dr. Ben Leever, Acting Chief, Manufacturing & Industrial Technology, Air Force Research Laboratory
• Panelists:
  • Dr. Regina Shia, Research Biological Scientist, Air Force Research Laboratory
  • Dr. Nancy Stoffel, Platform Leader for Flexible Hybrid Electronics, GE Global Research
  • Dr. Ali Shakouri, Director of the Birck Nanotechnology Center and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University
  • Brian Farrell, President and CEO, Human Systems Integration, Inc.
  • Bruce Kramer, Senior Advisor, Manufacturing in the Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation, National Science Foundation
  • Dr. Antti Makinen, Acting Director, Naval Materials Division, Office of Naval Research

12:15PM – 12:30PM – Closing Remarks and Final Poll

Dr. Scott Miller will wrap up the day’s agenda and conduct an audience poll about PC 7.0 topics and topics for the next Tech Council Meeting.

• Dr. Scott Miller, Director of Technology, NextFlex