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70 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023 Over the past several years, flexible electron- ics (FE) and flex-hybrid electronics (FHE) have enjoyed heightened attention in the elec- tronics industry and have seen special interest and attention given by mil-aero companies. is is evidenced by June's NextFlex confer- ence titled "Hybrid Electronics Commercial- ization Path for Aerospace Applications," an event at Boeing's Seattle facility. It was well attended by a diverse group of U.S. suppliers of materials, processes, equipment, and prod- ucts for the aerospace industry as well as sev- eral participants from academia. e reasons for interest are becoming ever clearer as the technology, like its traditional flexible circuit elder siblings, offers advanta- The Growth of Flex-hybrid Electronics in Mil-Aero Applications geous applications in the military and aero- space industries, where lightweight, con- formable, and robust electronics are highly desirable. It is thus worth considering some specific examples of FHE applications in the mil-aero environment. Wearable Electronics One application for flex-hybrid circuits is wearable electronics. While the first wearables in the most recent rise of interest in FHE have been for fashion application, such as LED- lighted dresses, the idea of wearable electron- ics for soldiers caught attention early on and the ground soldier of today is increasingly Flexible Thinking by Joe Fjelstad, VERDANT ELECTRONICS