From its textile industry, at the time, Philadelphia manufacturers acknowledge the need to develop new technology to remain competitive in a increasingly global market. Today, much of this once vibrant industry has vanished, with only a few companies remaining. Drexel University's Center for Functional Fabrics (CFF) aims to help rebuild PA's textile-related resources in order to once again manufacture textiles in this region, and to create a new economy based on innovations, collaborations, and connections at educational and industrial levels.

The Pennsylvania Fabric Discovery Center (PA FDC) is a collaborative partnership between Academia, Government, and Industry created to provide a new economy based on innovations, collaborations, and connections at educational and industrial levels. The PA FDC is located in Philadelphia at Schuylkill Yards, the innovation district adjacent to Amtrak's 30th Street Station and Drexel's campus. It is both business and university-facing and easily accessible to industry, academia, and government.