CERcuits announced as a winner in US Army xTechInternational Competition

CERcuits Secures Second Place in US Army xTechInternational Finals, Showcasing Revolutionary 3D Ceramic Circuits Technology

Cercuit, a pioneering company specializing in Ceramic PCB & substrates, proudly announces its exceptional achievement as the second-place winner in the highly competitive US Army xTechInternational finals. The recognition not only validates Cercuit’s commitment to groundbreaking innovation but also highlights the significant impact of its revolutionary 3D ceramic circuits technology in the field of advanced manufacturing and materials.

The winners of the 2023 xTechInternational competition are:

• First Place: Magnus Metal, D. N.; Haela, Israel; Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing and Materials
• Second Place: CERcuits BV; Geel, Belgium; Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing and Materials
• Third Place: Equispheres; Ottawa, Canada; Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing and Materials
• Fourth Place: Fieldmade; Lillestrøm, Norway; Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Composite Materials, Advanced Manufacturing and Materials
• Fifth Place: Directed Metal 3D; Linares, Spain; Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing and Materials

The other finalists include: 

• Decpt ApS; Nivå, Denmark; Advanced Manufacturing and Materials
• Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT; Pfinztal, Germany; Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing and Materials
• K3RX s.r.l.; Imola, Italy; Advanced Composite Materials, Advanced Manufacturing and Materials
• National Research Council of Italy – Institute of Science, Technology and Sustainability for Ceramics (CNR – ISSMC); Faenza, Italy; Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Composite Materials, Advanced Manufacturing and Materials

This year’s competition broke records for xTech’s international series, offering a prize pool of $530,000 — the largest yet — resulting in a record number 137 submissions from a wide array of eligible small businesses and academic and research institutions from around the world focusing on Advanced Manufacturing and Materials.

Competition finals were June 7-8 in London, where nine finalists pitched their innovative solutions to a panel of defense experts. At the conclusion of the finals event, judges selected five businesses as final winners of the competition. In addition to prize money received throughout each stage of the competition, the finalists won: $150,000 for first place; $100,000 for second place; $75,000 for third place; $60,000 for fourth place; and $45,000 for fifth place.

“This year’s competition was record breaking in a number of aspects, including award amounts and the level of participation we received,” said Ryan Decker, global technology advisor for U.S. Army DEVCOM Atlantic, an Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology partner and co-sponsor of the competition.” It is essential that the Army continues to look beyond our borders to equip our Soldiers with the latest game-changing technologies, and how we can incorporate international partners into DEVCOM programs providing future benefits to U.S. warfighters.”

Selected for progression following Phase I of the competition, ten finalists had the opportunity to participate in the xTechInternational Accelerator Program, a 14-week program designed to provide educational programming, diverse mentorship, venture-building consultation and strategic networking for business development. The goal of the xTechInternational Accelerator program is to help participating companies and institutions build long-term relationships with U.S. Army and Department of Defense stakeholders and to potentially transition their technologies into the hands of Army and DoD end-users.

In support of joint service modernization efforts, xTech put out a call earlier this year seeking novel science and technology solutions from international sources in the advanced manufacturing and materials solution space.

The xTech Program is the Army’s premier prize competition series led by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. The latest international competition is an effort among ASA(ALT), Army Futures Command, Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, the U.S. Office of Naval Research Global and the Air Force Research Laboratory. These organizations, alongside xTech, share the mutual goal of discovering novel S&T capabilities that can fill critical DoD mission gaps.

Established in 2018, the Army xTech Program strives to integrate small businesses and nontraditional vendors into the Army’s science and technology ecosystem by providing opportunities for direct exposure to laboratories, program executive offices and program managers from across the Army. Participants receive extensive feedback from Army and DoD stakeholders and have access to training, mentorship, and other support infrastructure as they progress through the competition to determine how to best align their technology solutions with real users and buyers within the Army.