Utah-based InnoSys Receives AFWERX Manufacturing Challenge Award
InnoSys, Inc. was awarded a Direct to Phase II contract for $1.75M through the AFWERX and SpaceWERX Manufacturing Challenge, supporting the objective to build more resilient domestic supply chains and advance manufacturing capabilities for defense.
InnoSys’ technology, Solid State Vacuum Device, or SSVD™, combines solid-state packaging with vacuum electron transport, enabling reliable performance in extreme environments where traditional semiconductors and TWTAs (Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers) cannot operate. The device demonstrates:
Radiation Resistant/Hard and EMP resistant
High-temperature survivability up to 650 °C without cooling
20+ year lifetime in hostile environments
Scalable RF power demonstrated at S- and X-band with future expansion to higher frequencies
“The recognition from AFWERX is a major milestone for InnoSys and a validation of SSVD™ as a game-changer for the aerospace and defense community,” said Steve Cox, Chief Marketing Officer of InnoSys. “Our technology fills a critical capability gap, enabling reliable communications and power amplification in missions ranging from nuclear-hardened systems and hypersonics to deep-space exploration.”
The Manufacturing Challenge aims to modernize defense manufacturing by transforming it from a rigid, legacy system into a flexible, interconnected, innovation-driven ecosystem. Decades of consolidation, fragile supply chains, production bottlenecks, and talent shortages have hindered the defense industrial base. The disruptive technology development performed by InnoSys is poised to address these critical issues.
The Nucleus Grow team, previously the Utah Innovation Center, is pleased to support InnoSys in its efforts to find non-dilutive funding to support these important developments.
About InnoSys, Inc.
Established in 2000, InnoSys is located near downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. InnoSys has extensive experience and capability in and facilities for advanced materials, advanced microelectronics (micro-fabrication, micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS), microsystem technology (MST), micro-machining, and 3-D printing manufacturing), advanced electronic packaging, and extensive testing capabilities.
Through continuous innovation in electronic devices, circuit and subsystem design and manufacturing, our goal is to effectively address increasing performance, functionalities, reliability, decreasing size, weight, and manufacturing cost requirements of devices, circuits and subsystems for advanced system applications such as higher demands for data bandwidth, higher efficiency for power electronics and even operation in harsh to extreme environments.
Companies interested in pursuing non-dilutive research and development funding through the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs can contact the Nucleus Institute at Grow@Nucleusutah.org.