09/14/2026
North Carolina’s long-standing textile industry is leading the next wave of fiber innovation.
NC State University has been selected to lead FutureTEX, a 10-year Department of War initiative focused on modernizing US textile manufacturing for defense and domestic applications. With a strong workforce of more than 32,000 textile workers and world-class research institutions, North Carolina is uniquely positioned to lead this effort.
With up to $480 million in funding over the next decade, FutureTEX will advance next-generation textile technologies and strengthen the resilience of the US defense industrial base—further positioning North Carolina at the center of the future of textile innovation.
Learn more about the textile industry in North Carolina: https://edpnc.com/industries/textiles-nonwovens/