MxD, a manufacturing innovation center in Chicago, has received $8.5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Defense to expand 5G-powered manufacturing and cybersecurity for arsenal supply chains.
MxD, formerly known as the UI Labs and the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute, was founded in 2011 and offers manufacturers from around the U.S. a place to develop, deploy and commercialize solutions that address problems in the manufacturing industry.
The new funding will be used to establish a 5G manufacturing testbed for the military. MxD will also use the financing to expand existing pilot program for cybersecurity projects. The aim is to protest manufacturing facilities, equipment, material and information systems in arsenals across the U.S.
“The additional funding from DoD in 2021 will enable MxD to continue to bring advanced technologies to U.S. manufacturers and modernize the defense industrial base,” said MxD CEO Chandra Brown in a statement. “These goals are growing in urgency as the manufacturing sector innovates to be more resilient and agile during and after the pandemic.”
This isn't the first time MxD has received funding from the DoD. In 2019, the DoD made a commitment to provide MxD with at least $20 million over the following five years. The DoD said at the time that it could ultimately provide MxD with up to $60 million in total government funding.
MxD says it works with more than 300 partners. Early last year, Chicago manufacturing startup Fast Radius opened a satellite office in MxD’s innovation center on Goose Island.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that MxD's $8.5 million DoD deal is completely separate from the DoD's $20 million commitment to MxD.
