Collaborate with UMass Lowell in the Fabric Discovery Center to Build Your Business

Printed metallic structures on plastic. The UMass Lowell Fabric Discovery Center is home to the first and only site in the nation that integrates discoveries from three Manufacturing USA Innovation Institutes. The synergy between high-tech fabrics and flexible electronics combined with robotics could change the world.

Expand product offerings, launch new companies, train workers in advanced manufacturing

The Fabric Discovery Center 28,000-square foot facility includes capabilities that you don’t have to invest in. With technology and expertise in one location, companies in the region have access to an extensive array of resources to expand product offerings, launch new companies and train workers in advanced manufacturing. Use the equipment to design, develop, test and pilot manufacture your product, from concept to commercialization. Capabilities include:

  • Multi-component fiber extrusion lines, textile assembly (knitting, weaving, braiding), and textile finishing equipment (coating, printing, sewing, bonding)
  • Designer substrates, and new inks for 3D printing and roll-to-roll processing (flexible electronics, conformal sensors, energy harvesting devices, wearables)
  • Wide range of testing capabilities (mechanical, thermal, flammability, durability testing, instrumented treadmill)
  • Robotic evaluation methods and testbeds
  • Assistive and sensing technology
  • Expertise in sustainable materials and processes
  • Fashion designers interacting with scientists and engineers
  • Technical workforce training (in collaboration with community colleges, MassMEP, and K-12)
  • Interaction with the medical devices incubator (M2D2) and technology incubator (iHub)

Companies also have access to UMass Lowell researchers with expertise in plastics engineering, robotics, mechanical engineering, assistive technologies and more.