Solideon, a US-based provider of collaborative robotic metal 3D printing systems, has been selected by AFWERX for a $1.25 million Direct-to-Phase II contract focused on developing a single pallet additive manufacturing cell that is capable of flexibly manufacturing critical systems across expeditionary environments – addressing some of the Department of the Air Force’s (DAF) most pressing challenges.
The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution.
The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018, which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded, and now Solideon will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
“The future of industrial power isn’t centralized – it’s deployable. This award is a signal that the Department of the Air Force is ready to break from the past and lead with agility. With this contract, we’re building the foundation for a world where manufacturing happens not in factories but wherever the mission demands – from airbases to shipyards and, eventually, orbit,” said Oluseun Taiwo, CEO of Solideon.
Last year, Solideon and LEAP 71, a Dubai-based developer of computational and AI-based engineering technology, signed an agreement to design and produce multi-meter-scale hardware for space applications – working together to build large metal structures with the eventual goal of enabling off-planet production.
