The Walmart Foundation, in conjunction with The U.S. Conference of Mayors, announced $3 million in grants through the U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund to six universities studying advances in the textile manufacturing industry.
The announcement also included details about the creation of 24,000 construction and 10,000 retail jobs in the coming year.
“With a presence in thousands of communities and a vast supplier network, we know we play an important role in supporting and creating American jobs. Our 2017 plans to grow our business – and our support for innovation in the textile industry – will have a meaningful impact across the county,” said Dan Bartlett, Walmart executive vice president for corporate affairs.
The 2017 Innovation Fund grant recipients are:
- Washington State University: to establish a sustainable process to recycle cotton waste by fiber regeneration using a wet spinning technique.
- North Carolina State University: to create a universal and sustainable commercial textile dyeing method that doesn’t use salt or alkali; doesn’t produce effluent; and produces more than 95 percent savings of both energy and water.
- Clemson University: for development of sustainable polyester fibers that achieve a high level of water and oil repellency.
- Oregon State University: to develop a sustainable, cost-effective dyeing and printing of smart fabrics process.
- Texas Tech University: to support research on various aspects of textile manufacturing, dyeing efficiency and specialty finishes.
- University of Massachusetts Lowell: to develop magnetic dyeing technology to address the technical and environmental issues of current dyeing techniques.
Through the U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have funded $10 million in grants since 2014.
