Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) is thrilled to announce the expansion of its Transdisciplinary Workshop model to the West Coast, in partnership with the University of Oregon’s Sports Product Design graduate program and Bemis Associates. This pioneering initiative invites students to collaborate in studio teams to prototype advanced tactical apparel and gear utilizing Bemis’ EverFit™ Sewfree® elastic replacement adhesives, aimed at both commercial and Department of Defense applications.
“Oregon is a hub for innovation in the sports apparel industry, and we are excited to facilitate this collaboration,” said Robert Finnegan, AFFOA’s Director of Education and Workforce Development. “We believe that transformative advancements in design and manufacturability occur when interdisciplinary teams work together to tackle real-world challenges. The University of Oregon’s Sports Product Design program exemplifies this commitment, and we look forward to the groundbreaking solutions the students will create.”
Dr. Susan Sokolowski, Professor of Product Design at the University of Oregon, expressed enthusiasm for the program’s unique challenges. “This initiative offers our students a diverse array of potential applications in both consumer and defense markets for radically innovative advanced textile products. We can’t wait to see how they leverage AFFOA’s expertise and Bemis’ EverFit™ technology to develop next-generation solutions.”
Daniel Calabrese, Director of Design and Applications at Bemis Associates and a proud alumnus of the University of Oregon’s program, underscored the program’s strategic significance. “We see this innovative collaboration as a way to create a ‘prosumer’ use case. If a design can be effective in Department of Defense applications, we are confident it will excel in the commercial sector,” he stated.